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: coach · racket · root · craft · kid · squash · shower · capital

  1. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  2. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  6. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  14. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  18. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  19. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  24. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

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

Answer key

  1. root — the cause
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. craft — a skill
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. kid — child
  6. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  7. squash — the sport
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. shower — a meteor shower
  10. root — of a word
  11. squash — to crush
  12. craft — boats
  13. capital — money
  14. capital — a big letter
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. capital — a city
  18. shower — to wash
  19. kid — to tease
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. root — of a plant
  22. shower — rain
  23. squash — the vegetable
  24. coach — pulled by horses

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