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: roll · toast · march · scale · cell · root · bowl · rash

  1. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  2. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  6. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  7. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  8. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  9. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  10. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  15. He was locked up in a ________________.
  16. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  17. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  18. We're on a ________________ here.
  19. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  20. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  21. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  22. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  24. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — to roll
  2. rash — a series
  3. toast — a drink to someone
  4. scale — size or range
  5. cell — in biology
  6. bowl — a football final
  7. march — the month
  8. march — the month
  9. roll — a cake
  10. scale — for weighing
  11. root — the cause
  12. root — of a word
  13. rash — hasty
  14. root — of a plant
  15. cell — in a prison
  16. roll — a list
  17. march — music
  18. roll — on a roll
  19. toast — bread
  20. cell — a phone
  21. scale — in music
  22. bowl — a dish
  23. rash — on the skin
  24. toast — the most admired

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