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 · foot · content · pound · rock · key · squash · hide

  1. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  2. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  9. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  10. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  11. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  12. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  15. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. I have a corn on my right ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. pound — a weight
  3. rock — music
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. key — for a lock
  7. key — the most important part
  8. foot — the bottom
  9. squash — the sport
  10. content — happy
  11. content — the amount
  12. content — videos and posts
  13. root — of a word
  14. pound — for dogs
  15. pound — to hit hard
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. squash — the vegetable
  18. root — of a plant
  19. key — in music
  20. foot — a measure
  21. root — the cause
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. rock — a stone
  24. foot — part of the body

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