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 120 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. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  4. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. When are we going to ________________?
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  18. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  19. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  23. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. rest — what's left
  3. land — ground
  4. mine — an explosive
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. land — to come down
  7. current — electric
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. root — of a word
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. current — of water
  12. current — happening now
  13. rest — what's left
  14. branch — a division
  15. land — a country
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. root — the cause
  18. mine — belonging to me
  19. root — of a plant
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. mine — for digging
  23. rest — a break
  24. hide — to keep secret

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