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 light ________________ burned out.
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. When are we going to ________________?
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  17. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  22. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. board — a committee
  3. land — to come down
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. bat — for baseball
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. land — ground
  8. present — there
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. present — the time now
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. bulb — for light
  14. branch — a division
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. land — a country
  17. bat — in an idiom
  18. root — of a plant
  19. board — to get on
  20. present — a gift
  21. root — of a word
  22. bat — the animal
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. root — the cause

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