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: rash · mark · drill · plane · root · cold · squash · cap

  1. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  2. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  8. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  9. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  14. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  21. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  22. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. The water is too ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — the tool
  2. rash — hasty
  3. root — of a plant
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. drill — a practice
  6. rash — a series
  7. cold — the Cold War
  8. plane — a tool
  9. drill — army training
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. cap — a lid
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. cold — an illness
  14. squash — the sport
  15. cap — a hat
  16. squash — the vegetable
  17. mark — a grade
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. cap — of ice
  20. root — of a word
  21. squash — to crush
  22. root — the cause
  23. mark — a trace
  24. cold — not warm

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