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 flowers bloom in the ________________.
  2. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  3. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  4. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  5. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  8. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  11. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  14. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  17. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  22. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  23. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  24. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — the season
  2. pound — for dogs
  3. spring — of water
  4. mine — an explosive
  5. mine — for digging
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. staff — a stick
  8. club — for dancing
  9. lie — to recline
  10. club — a group
  11. club — for golf
  12. branch — a division
  13. spring — a coil
  14. pound — a weight
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. staff — employees
  17. root — the cause
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. root — of a plant
  21. pound — to hit hard
  22. mine — belonging to me
  23. root — of a word
  24. staff — employees

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