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. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  5. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  15. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  16. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. There's no middle ________________.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  22. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. Add some ________________ pepper to it.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. root — the cause
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. hand — help
  5. wound — an injury
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. sharp — clever
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. wound — past of 'wind'
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. root — of a plant
  14. hand — in cards
  15. ground — the earth
  16. root — of a word
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. ground — a position
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. hand — part of the body
  22. wound — an injury
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. ground — crushed

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