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. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  2. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  5. That was a fun ________________.
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  22. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a word
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. current — of water
  4. trunk — of an elephant
  5. game — a match
  6. present — there
  7. current — electric
  8. trunk — of a car
  9. present — a gift
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. root — the cause
  12. tube — a container
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. root — of a plant
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. perch — the fish
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. present — the time now
  22. game — wild animals
  23. tube — the underground
  24. current — happening now

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