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 116 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. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  24. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a word
  2. wind — moving air
  3. scale — in music
  4. trunk — of an elephant
  5. scale — size or range
  6. race — humankind
  7. root — the cause
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. race — the arms race
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. saw — the tool
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. root — of a plant
  14. wind — to turn a key
  15. rock — a stone
  16. saw — the tool
  17. race — a contest
  18. season — of the year
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. season — in sport
  21. rock — music
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. wind — moving air
  24. saw — past of 'see'

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