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. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  2. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  8. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  9. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  21. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  22. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  24. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for dancing
  2. root — of a plant
  3. spell — magic
  4. plane — a tool
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. capital — money
  8. foot — a measure
  9. capital — a city
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. root — of a word
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. capital — a big letter
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. root — the cause
  19. spell — a short time
  20. trunk — of a tree
  21. club — for golf
  22. club — a group
  23. spell — letters
  24. foot — the bottom

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