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: bank · squash · shower · patient · root · nail · wave · land

  1. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  2. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  5. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. When are we going to ________________?
  8. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  21. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  22. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  23. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  24. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a plant
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. land — a country
  5. shower — a meteor shower
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. land — to come down
  8. root — the cause
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. land — ground
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. squash — to crush
  13. bank — for money
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. shower — to wash
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. bank — for money
  18. wave — with your hand
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. squash — the sport
  21. shower — rain
  22. squash — the vegetable
  23. root — of a word
  24. bank — of a river

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