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 ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  4. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  13. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. There's no middle ________________.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a word
  2. board — a committee
  3. mine — for digging
  4. mine — an explosive
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. pound — to hit hard
  7. root — the cause
  8. ground — the earth
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. root — of a plant
  13. pound — a weight
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. branch — a division
  16. ground — crushed
  17. mine — belonging to me
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. ground — a position
  20. board — to get on
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. pound — for dogs
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. branch — of a bank

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