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. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  2. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. False peace will not ________________.
  17. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  18. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  23. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  24. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. root — the cause
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. root — of a plant
  4. row — a line
  5. prune — to trim
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. scale — in music
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. branch — a division
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. prune — to trim
  15. sharp — clever
  16. last — to go on
  17. last — finally
  18. row — to paddle
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. scale — size or range
  22. row — a quarrel
  23. last — final
  24. root — of a word

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