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 ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  8. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  9. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  15. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  16. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  19. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  22. It's one o'clock ________________.
  23. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for dancing
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. root — the cause
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. chest — of your body
  8. band — a rubber band
  9. band — a ring
  10. root — of a word
  11. board — a committee
  12. root — of a plant
  13. sharp — clever
  14. chest — of your body
  15. fork — in a road
  16. club — a group
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. club — for golf
  19. chest — a box
  20. board — to get on
  21. band — a music group
  22. sharp — exactly
  23. fork — to eat with
  24. board — a flat piece

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