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: squash · fine · ball · root · pit · cold · mark · vault

  1. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  2. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. The water is too ________________.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a word
  2. pit — a hole
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. fine — all right
  5. vault — a safe
  6. ball — a dance
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. ball — a great time
  9. cold — the Cold War
  10. mark — a grade
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. root — the cause
  13. squash — the sport
  14. fine — high quality
  15. vault — in gymnastics
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. squash — to crush
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. cold — not warm
  20. mark — a trace
  21. root — of a plant
  22. cold — an illness
  23. pit — in a race
  24. vault — an arched ceiling

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