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: bulb · squash · file · pass · root · racket · temple · season

  1. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  2. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  3. Did you ________________ the meat?
  4. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  7. When was this ________________ built?
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  20. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. squash — the vegetable
  3. season — to add flavour
  4. file — a document
  5. season — of the year
  6. file — a tool
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. season — in sport
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. root — of a word
  12. squash — to crush
  13. bulb — for light
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. pass — a permit
  16. root — the cause
  17. squash — the sport
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. root — of a plant
  20. pass — to succeed
  21. bulb — for light
  22. file — a line of people
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. temple — side of the head

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