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. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  14. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  23. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  24. I got dealt a bad ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a plant
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. row — a line
  4. branch — a division
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. rush — hurry
  11. shower — a meteor shower
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. shower — rain
  14. shower — to wash
  15. root — the cause
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. lean — to bend
  18. hand — help
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. row — a quarrel
  21. lean — thin
  22. row — to paddle
  23. root — of a word
  24. hand — in cards

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