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: pound · dip · racket · lean · game · root · mine · wake

  1. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  2. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  4. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. That was a fun ________________.
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  19. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  20. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  21. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  22. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  24. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. game — wild animals
  4. root — the cause
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. game — a match
  7. lean — thin
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. root — of a word
  11. mine — an explosive
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. mine — belonging to me
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. wake — a trail
  16. pound — a weight
  17. lean — to bend
  18. pound — to hit hard
  19. mine — for digging
  20. dip — to sink
  21. racket — a loud noise
  22. pound — for dogs
  23. root — of a plant
  24. game — a kind of play

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