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. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  3. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  21. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. root — of a word
  3. spring — of water
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. chip — for betting
  8. chip — to eat
  9. spring — a coil
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. branch — a division
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. root — of a plant
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. fine — high quality
  18. fine — all right
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. root — the cause
  21. spring — the season
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. fan — a supporter

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