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 · field · craft · squash · snap · patient · bore · march

  1. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  2. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  3. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  13. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  14. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  15. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  16. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  17. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  18. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  21. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  22. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  24. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. march — music
  3. snap — to snap out of it
  4. craft — boats
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. craft — a skill
  7. root — of a plant
  8. bore — to drill
  9. field — farmland
  10. squash — the sport
  11. root — the cause
  12. craft — a handicraft
  13. snap — to speak sharply
  14. field — a subject
  15. snap — to click
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. march — the month
  18. root — of a word
  19. bore — to tire
  20. field — for sport
  21. march — the month
  22. squash — the vegetable
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  24. bore — gave birth

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