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. She's very handy with a ________________.
  2. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  3. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. He was locked up in a ________________.
  16. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  17. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  18. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  19. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  22. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. club — for dancing
  3. root — the cause
  4. saw — the tool
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. board — to get on
  7. cell — in biology
  8. craft — boats
  9. fork — in a road
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. board — a committee
  14. branch — a division
  15. cell — in a prison
  16. club — a group
  17. cell — a phone
  18. root — of a word
  19. fork — a garden tool
  20. root — of a plant
  21. club — for golf
  22. craft — a skill
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. fork — to eat with

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