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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: game · trunk · staff · mine · fine · root

  1. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  2. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  5. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  12. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  13. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  14. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a word
  2. root — of a plant
  3. game — a match
  4. mine — belonging to me
  5. staff — employees
  6. root — the cause
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. staff — a stick
  9. fine — high quality
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. game — a kind of play
  12. mine — an explosive
  13. mine — for digging
  14. staff — employees
  15. fine — all right
  16. trunk — of a tree
  17. game — wild animals
  18. trunk — of an elephant

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