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 116 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 captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  9. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  10. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  18. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  19. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  20. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  24. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. fall — to drop
  3. root — of a plant
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. spell — a short time
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. root — the cause
  8. trunk — of a tree
  9. pitch — a sales talk
  10. fall — to drop
  11. root — of a word
  12. fall — the season
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. spell — letters
  15. mine — an explosive
  16. sharp — clever
  17. pitch — a sports field
  18. mine — belonging to me
  19. trunk — of an elephant
  20. pitch — completely
  21. board — a committee
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. mine — for digging
  24. spell — magic

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