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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. The ball is in your ________________.
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. We're on a ________________ here.
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  17. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  18. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  19. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a list
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. root — of a plant
  4. bank — for money
  5. court — for sport
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. bank — for money
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. court — of law
  10. root — the cause
  11. roll — on a roll
  12. prune — to trim
  13. charge — electricity
  14. tube — the underground
  15. prune — to trim
  16. prune — the fruit
  17. court — of a king
  18. root — of a word
  19. tube — a container
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. roll — a cake
  22. bank — of a river
  23. charge — a price
  24. charge — in control

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