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 120 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. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  2. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  19. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  23. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  24. I've got the luggage in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. bound — tied together
  3. safe — a strongbox
  4. root — of a plant
  5. bound — certain
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. root — of a word
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. file — a tool
  12. cap — of ice
  13. file — a line of people
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. bound — obliged
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. cap — a hat
  19. cap — a lid
  20. deal — to handle
  21. root — the cause
  22. file — a document
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. trunk — of a car

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