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 tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  2. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  3. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  24. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. root — of a word
  3. prune — to trim
  4. saw — the tool
  5. kick — a thrill
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. kick — with a leg
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. root — the cause
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. wake — a trail
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. prune — the fruit
  16. saw — the tool
  17. kick — in football
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. trunk — of a car
  20. plane — a tool
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. prune — to trim
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  24. root — of a plant

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