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. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  2. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. He is an ace ________________.
  5. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  6. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  13. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  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. root — the cause
  2. bound — tied together
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. pitcher — in baseball
  5. spring — the season
  6. spring — a coil
  7. branch — a division
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. root — of a word
  12. club — for dancing
  13. club — a group
  14. club — for golf
  15. bound — certain
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. spring — of water
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. wake — a trail
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. bound — obliged
  22. root — of a plant
  23. cabinet — ministers
  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