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 · fall · root · hand · fork · rule · land · bear

  1. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  3. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  6. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. When are we going to ________________?
  9. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  14. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  17. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  18. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  19. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  20. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  21. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  22. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  23. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  24. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — part of the body
  2. fall — the season
  3. fork — a garden tool
  4. hand — in cards
  5. staff — a stick
  6. staff — employees
  7. bear — the animal
  8. land — to come down
  9. fall — to drop
  10. root — of a word
  11. root — of a plant
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. rule — government
  14. land — a country
  15. bear — the animal
  16. fork — to eat with
  17. staff — employees
  18. rule — to rule out
  19. hand — help
  20. fall — to drop
  21. land — ground
  22. root — the cause
  23. rule — a law
  24. fork — in a road

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