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: ruler · spring · squash · root · date · face · bound · scale

  1. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  2. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. Have you settled on a ________________?
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  18. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  19. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  20. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  23. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  24. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to confront
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. bound — obliged
  4. face — part of the head
  5. root — of a word
  6. ruler — a monarch
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. bound — certain
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. root — of a plant
  13. face — to point toward
  14. squash — to crush
  15. spring — the season
  16. scale — size or range
  17. root — the cause
  18. spring — a coil
  19. squash — the sport
  20. spring — of water
  21. bound — tied together
  22. scale — in music
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. date — the fruit

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