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: root · row · land · pitcher · safe · spell · rock · snap

  1. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  2. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. When are we going to ________________?
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  12. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  15. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  18. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  19. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  20. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  23. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  24. I had a ________________ with my boss today.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. rock — a stone
  4. land — to come down
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. root — the cause
  7. spell — letters
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. land — a country
  12. root — of a word
  13. spell — a short time
  14. snap — to snap out of it
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. land — ground
  18. row — to paddle
  19. snap — to speak sharply
  20. snap — to click
  21. rock — music
  22. root — of a plant
  23. row — a line
  24. row — a quarrel

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