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: net · wave · root · last · fork · roll · rash · pitcher

  1. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  2. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. False peace will not ________________.
  11. We're on a ________________ here.
  12. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  24. I seem to be developing a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a list
  2. fork — to eat with
  3. rash — hasty
  4. last — final
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. roll — a cake
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. root — of a plant
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. last — to go on
  11. roll — on a roll
  12. fork — in a road
  13. root — of a word
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. net — after costs
  17. rash — a series
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. net — in sport
  20. net — for catching
  21. root — the cause
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. last — finally
  24. rash — on the skin

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