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: cue · root · degree · court · can · fan · fork · rash

  1. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. The ball is in your ________________.
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  11. Don't do anything ________________.
  12. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  19. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  20. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  21. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — a series
  2. fork — to eat with
  3. root — of a plant
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. fork — in a road
  6. root — the cause
  7. can — to be able to
  8. court — for sport
  9. cue — for pool
  10. court — of law
  11. rash — hasty
  12. fork — a garden tool
  13. cue — a hint
  14. degree — temperature
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. can — a tin
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. degree — an amount
  19. cue — a signal
  20. root — of a word
  21. degree — from a university
  22. can — a tin
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. court — of a king

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