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 sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  2. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  6. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  18. That was a fun ________________.
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — to turn a key
  2. rest — what's left
  3. pitch — completely
  4. rest — a break
  5. game — wild animals
  6. game — a kind of play
  7. branch — a division
  8. wind — moving air
  9. root — of a word
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. bear — the animal
  12. root — of a plant
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. rush — hurry
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. pitch — a sales talk
  18. game — a match
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. rest — what's left
  21. root — the cause
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. bear — the animal
  24. wind — moving air

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