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 120 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: squash · straw · wave · drill · root · row · lie · racket

  1. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  2. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  9. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  10. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  11. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  12. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  13. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  23. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  24. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a line
  2. straw — dry grass
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. squash — to crush
  6. squash — the sport
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. squash — the vegetable
  9. root — of a plant
  10. row — a quarrel
  11. straw — to clutch at straws
  12. drill — army training
  13. straw — a straw man
  14. lie — to recline
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. drill — a practice
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. wave — with your hand
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. root — the cause
  22. row — to paddle
  23. drill — the tool
  24. root — of a word

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