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: squash · jam · date · bass · roll · patient · root · safe

  1. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  2. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. We're on a ________________ here.
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  12. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  19. Have you settled on a ________________?
  20. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  24. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — to spread on bread
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. jam — in traffic
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. roll — on a roll
  7. bass — low music
  8. roll — a cake
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. date — the fruit
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. squash — the sport
  14. root — the cause
  15. roll — a list
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. squash — to crush
  18. squash — the vegetable
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. jam — a tight spot
  21. bass — the fish
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. root — of a plant
  24. root — of a word

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