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: pitch · calf · bark · root · fan · roll · date · squash

  1. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  2. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  10. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. Have you settled on a ________________?
  13. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  14. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. We're on a ________________ here.
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  19. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  22. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the vegetable
  2. date — the fruit
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. roll — a cake
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. root — of a word
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. root — of a plant
  10. bark — a dog's sound
  11. squash — the sport
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. bark — of a tree
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. squash — to crush
  16. roll — on a roll
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. pitch — completely
  19. root — the cause
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. bark — to shout
  22. roll — a list
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. pitch — a sales talk

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