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: mine · current · root · key · game · coach · trunk · tube

  1. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  13. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. key — the most important part
  2. current — electric
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. mine — an explosive
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. key — in music
  7. key — for a lock
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. tube — a container
  10. root — the cause
  11. root — of a word
  12. mine — belonging to me
  13. mine — for digging
  14. current — of water
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. tube — the underground
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. game — a kind of play
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. root — of a plant
  22. game — wild animals
  23. current — happening now
  24. game — a match

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