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: staff · root · last · pitch · present · roll · firm · foot

  1. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  2. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  3. False peace will not ________________.
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  6. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  7. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  8. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  11. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  16. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  17. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  18. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  19. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  20. We're on a ________________ here.
  21. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  22. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  23. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  24. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — part of the body
  2. last — finally
  3. last — to go on
  4. present — a gift
  5. staff — a stick
  6. pitch — a sales talk
  7. firm — decided
  8. roll — a cake
  9. root — of a word
  10. last — final
  11. staff — employees
  12. present — the time now
  13. present — there
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. pitch — completely
  16. root — the cause
  17. root — of a plant
  18. foot — a measure
  19. firm — steady
  20. roll — on a roll
  21. foot — the bottom
  22. staff — employees
  23. roll — a list
  24. firm — a company

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