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: wind · suit · root · spell · current · degree · squash · fork

  1. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  2. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  6. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  17. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  20. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  21. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  24. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. wind — moving air
  3. squash — to crush
  4. suit — to fit
  5. degree — temperature
  6. degree — from a university
  7. root — of a plant
  8. suit — in cards
  9. degree — an amount
  10. spell — a short time
  11. current — of water
  12. spell — letters
  13. wind — moving air
  14. current — happening now
  15. current — electric
  16. wind — to turn a key
  17. root — of a word
  18. root — the cause
  19. squash — the vegetable
  20. fork — to eat with
  21. fork — a garden tool
  22. squash — the sport
  23. suit — clothes
  24. fork — in a road

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