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 120 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: racket · sharp · temple · shower · rash · squash · mine · root

  1. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  3. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  11. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  12. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  16. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  19. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  20. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  21. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  24. When was this ________________ built?

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. temple — side of the head
  3. mine — an explosive
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. squash — the sport
  6. root — of a word
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. rash — hasty
  9. rash — a series
  10. squash — to crush
  11. root — of a plant
  12. mine — for digging
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. sharp — clever
  15. shower — to wash
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. root — the cause
  20. mine — belonging to me
  21. shower — a meteor shower
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. shower — rain
  24. temple — a place of worship

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