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 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  2. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  5. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  6. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  12. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  13. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  16. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  17. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. There's no middle ________________.
  21. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  22. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  23. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  24. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a word
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. bark — a dog's sound
  5. root — of a plant
  6. club — a group
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. chip — for betting
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. chip — to eat
  11. jam — in traffic
  12. bark — to shout
  13. club — for dancing
  14. bear — the animal
  15. jam — to spread on bread
  16. jam — a tight spot
  17. bark — of a tree
  18. bear — the animal
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. ground — a position
  21. ground — the earth
  22. ground — crushed
  23. club — for golf
  24. root — the cause

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