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 ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  2. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  9. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  15. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  18. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  19. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  20. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  23. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  24. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a plant
  2. vault — an arched ceiling
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. present — the time now
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. dip — to sink
  8. vault — a safe
  9. staff — a stick
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. root — the cause
  12. present — there
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. clip — to cut
  15. wound — past of 'wind'
  16. staff — employees
  17. wound — an injury
  18. clip — for paper
  19. staff — employees
  20. root — of a word
  21. branch — a division
  22. clip — a video
  23. present — a gift
  24. wound — an injury

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