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: craft · dip · wound · shower · face · squash · race · root

  1. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  2. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  5. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  8. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  15. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. shower — rain
  3. face — to confront
  4. root — the cause
  5. wound — an injury
  6. face — part of the head
  7. shower — to wash
  8. shower — a meteor shower
  9. craft — a skill
  10. race — humankind
  11. squash — to crush
  12. root — of a word
  13. squash — the sport
  14. wound — past of 'wind'
  15. race — a contest
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. race — the arms race
  19. craft — boats
  20. dip — to sink
  21. root — of a plant
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. wound — an injury
  24. squash — the vegetable

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