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: cap · rule · pitcher · root · wave · row · race · bowl

  1. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  9. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  12. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  13. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  14. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  15. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  16. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  17. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  19. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  23. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  24. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — a sudden rise
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. cap — of ice
  4. cap — a lid
  5. rule — to rule out
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. race — humankind
  9. rule — a law
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. root — of a plant
  12. root — of a word
  13. bowl — to roll
  14. row — a quarrel
  15. race — a contest
  16. race — the arms race
  17. row — a line
  18. bowl — a dish
  19. cap — a hat
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. row — to paddle
  23. rule — government
  24. root — the cause

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