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: pitcher · squash · root · can · tear · press · spring · bore

  1. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  2. Did you ________________ the button?
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  16. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  17. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  23. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  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. tear — from crying
  2. press — to push
  3. bore — to drill
  4. root — of a word
  5. bore — to tire
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. root — the cause
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. can — to be able to
  10. root — of a plant
  11. spring — a coil
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. squash — to crush
  14. can — a tin
  15. press — a publisher
  16. spring — the season
  17. tear — to rip
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. can — a tin
  20. tear — from crying
  21. squash — the sport
  22. press — newspapers
  23. spring — of water
  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