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: foot · lean · net · root · squash · land · object · sharp

  1. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  2. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  8. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  9. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  10. When are we going to ________________?
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  20. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. It's one o'clock ________________.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the sport
  2. squash — to crush
  3. foot — part of the body
  4. net — for catching
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. root — of a plant
  7. land — ground
  8. object — to protest
  9. object — a thing
  10. land — to come down
  11. net — in sport
  12. lean — to bend
  13. object — an aim
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. sharp — clever
  16. net — after costs
  17. foot — a measure
  18. lean — thin
  19. land — a country
  20. root — of a word
  21. root — the cause
  22. sharp — exactly
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. foot — the bottom

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