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. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. He is an ace ________________.
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  12. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  13. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. That was a fun ________________.
  19. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  24. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a word
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. bear — the animal
  4. pitcher — in baseball
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. craft — boats
  7. bear — the animal
  8. root — of a plant
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. craft — a skill
  11. staff — employees
  12. staff — a stick
  13. staff — employees
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. branch — a division
  16. drill — the tool
  17. game — wild animals
  18. game — a match
  19. drill — a practice
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. root — the cause
  22. game — a kind of play
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. drill — army training

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