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 116 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. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. False peace will not ________________.
  10. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  11. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  12. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  13. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  14. He was locked up in a ________________.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  18. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  19. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  20. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  21. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a word
  2. cell — a phone
  3. root — of a plant
  4. cell — in biology
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. last — finally
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. last — to go on
  10. file — a document
  11. face — to point toward
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. face — to confront
  14. cell — in a prison
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. face — part of the head
  18. file — a line of people
  19. file — a tool
  20. root — the cause
  21. trunk — of a car
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. perch — the fish
  24. last — final

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