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. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  2. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  10. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  15. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  18. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  22. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  24. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — a weight
  2. spring — of water
  3. root — of a plant
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. hand — help
  6. root — the cause
  7. board — to get on
  8. hand — in cards
  9. pound — to hit hard
  10. hand — part of the body
  11. season — in sport
  12. board — a committee
  13. root — of a word
  14. pound — for dogs
  15. club — for golf
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. club — a group
  18. spring — the season
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. season — of the year
  21. spring — a coil
  22. club — for dancing
  23. season — to add flavour
  24. pitcher — a jug

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