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 120 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: vault · root · race · ground · game · wake · land · squash

  1. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  2. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  12. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  13. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  14. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  15. There's no middle ________________.
  16. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  18. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  21. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  22. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  23. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. root — of a plant
  3. game — a match
  4. squash — to crush
  5. vault — a safe
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. land — ground
  8. squash — the sport
  9. ground — the earth
  10. root — the cause
  11. game — a kind of play
  12. race — humankind
  13. race — the arms race
  14. vault — in gymnastics
  15. ground — a position
  16. race — a contest
  17. land — to come down
  18. root — of a word
  19. wake — a trail
  20. vault — an arched ceiling
  21. land — a country
  22. ground — crushed
  23. game — wild animals
  24. squash — the vegetable

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