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. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  7. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  8. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  13. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  17. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — an explosive
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. dip — to sink
  4. degree — from a university
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. degree — an amount
  7. stem — a stem cell
  8. root — the cause
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. degree — temperature
  11. stem — to come from
  12. mine — for digging
  13. craft — a skill
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. root — of a word
  17. mine — belonging to me
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. dip — a sauce
  22. craft — boats
  23. root — of a plant
  24. branch — a division

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