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 112 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: board · key · cell · branch · capital · root

  1. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  2. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  7. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  13. He was locked up in a ________________.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a bank
  2. cell — in biology
  3. key — for a lock
  4. board — to get on
  5. key — the most important part
  6. cell — a phone
  7. capital — money
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. root — of a plant
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. board — a committee
  12. root — of a word
  13. cell — in a prison
  14. branch — a division
  15. root — the cause
  16. capital — a city
  17. key — in music
  18. capital — a big letter

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