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: snap · scale · shower · suit · hand · mate · racket · root

  1. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  2. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  3. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  4. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. Have you found your soul ________________?
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  15. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  18. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  19. When will it ________________ you to start?
  20. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  21. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  22. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  23. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  24. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — rain
  2. suit — clothes
  3. shower — to wash
  4. snap — to click
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. hand — in cards
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. mate — a partner
  9. root — the cause
  10. root — of a word
  11. mate — a friend
  12. hand — help
  13. root — of a plant
  14. scale — size or range
  15. shower — a meteor shower
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. hand — part of the body
  18. snap — to speak sharply
  19. suit — to fit
  20. mate — to breed
  21. racket — a loud noise
  22. scale — in music
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. suit — in cards

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