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. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  2. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  9. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  10. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  13. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  17. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  24. The old man leaned on his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. staff — employees
  3. root — of a word
  4. saw — the tool
  5. file — a tool
  6. tube — the underground
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. root — the cause
  9. staff — employees
  10. file — a line of people
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. spring — of water
  13. file — a document
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. spring — the season
  17. prune — to trim
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. tube — a container
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. root — of a plant
  22. saw — the tool
  23. spring — a coil
  24. staff — a stick

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