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. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  2. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  3. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  9. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. Have you settled on a ________________?
  12. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  15. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  19. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  22. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  23. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  24. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. root — of a word
  3. band — a music group
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. vault — a safe
  7. root — the cause
  8. band — a ring
  9. root — of a plant
  10. rash — hasty
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. rash — a series
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. band — a rubber band
  15. race — the arms race
  16. rest — what's left
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. race — humankind
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. rest — a break
  22. race — a contest
  23. trunk — of a car
  24. date — the fruit

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