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: spring · squash · kick · root · club · sharp · dip · march

  1. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  2. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  4. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  5. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  6. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  7. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  8. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  9. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  13. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  14. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  15. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  16. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  17. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  20. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. It's one o'clock ________________.
  23. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  24. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. root — the cause
  2. squash — to crush
  3. club — a group
  4. club — for dancing
  5. march — the month
  6. spring — the season
  7. kick — in football
  8. spring — of water
  9. club — for golf
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. kick — with a leg
  13. dip — to sink
  14. spring — a coil
  15. march — music
  16. root — of a word
  17. kick — a thrill
  18. sharp — clever
  19. root — of a plant
  20. dip — to dunk
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. sharp — exactly
  23. squash — the sport
  24. march — the month

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