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: drill · safe · racket · root · deal · bark · wind · bowl

  1. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  2. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  3. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  7. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  8. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  17. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  18. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  19. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  22. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  23. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  24. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. drill — army training
  3. drill — a practice
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. safe — a strongbox
  7. wind — to turn a key
  8. racket — a loud noise
  9. root — the cause
  10. root — of a word
  11. root — of a plant
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. drill — the tool
  16. wind — moving air
  17. bark — to shout
  18. bowl — a football final
  19. bark — of a tree
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. bark — a dog's sound
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. deal — to handle

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