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 120 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 drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  2. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  3. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  4. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  13. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  20. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  21. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  24. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. root — the cause
  3. chair — a professorship
  4. root — of a plant
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. mine — belonging to me
  8. track — a path
  9. track — to keep track
  10. mine — for digging
  11. root — of a word
  12. chair — to sit on
  13. mine — an explosive
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. cue — for pool
  16. cue — a signal
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. track — a song
  19. chair — a leader
  20. bat — for baseball
  21. bat — in an idiom
  22. cue — a hint
  23. bat — the animal
  24. leaves — lets stay

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