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: pop · root · shower · bowl · swing · rash · pit · chair

  1. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  4. David sat on the ________________.
  5. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. Don't do anything ________________.
  8. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  15. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  16. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  17. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  20. You don't need to ________________ round.
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. He's taking a ________________ right now.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — a series
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. chair — a professorship
  4. swing — to play on
  5. chair — a leader
  6. root — the cause
  7. rash — hasty
  8. chair — to sit on
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. swing — in golf
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. pit — a hole
  13. pop — soda
  14. swing — music
  15. root — of a word
  16. shower — a meteor shower
  17. shower — rain
  18. pop — music
  19. root — of a plant
  20. pop — to visit
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. bowl — a dish
  23. pit — in a race
  24. shower — to wash

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