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: degree · root · roll · cabinet · rule · stand · race · squash

  1. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  2. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. We're on a ________________ here.
  8. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  9. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  10. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  11. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  12. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  13. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  14. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  17. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  23. I can't ________________ this cold.
  24. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — to rule out
  2. squash — the sport
  3. root — of a word
  4. rule — a law
  5. squash — to crush
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. roll — on a roll
  8. race — the arms race
  9. race — humankind
  10. rule — government
  11. roll — a cake
  12. root — the cause
  13. degree — temperature
  14. degree — from a university
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. squash — the vegetable
  17. roll — a list
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. degree — an amount
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. root — of a plant
  23. stand — to bear
  24. race — a contest

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