ClueBy
TodayArchiveWord list

Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
YesNo
↻ New worksheet

Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: row · bank · leaves · wound · sharp · squash · root · current

  1. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  2. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  3. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  6. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  9. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  20. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  21. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. squash — the sport
  3. row — a line
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. wound — past of 'wind'
  6. row — to paddle
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. wound — an injury
  9. bank — for money
  10. current — of water
  11. root — the cause
  12. squash — to crush
  13. wound — an injury
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. row — a quarrel
  16. root — of a plant
  17. current — happening now
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. root — of a word
  20. squash — the vegetable
  21. bank — for money
  22. current — electric
  23. sharp — clever
  24. bank — of a river

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com