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 116 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: lean · craft · staff · game · track · root · hide · chair

  1. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  2. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  4. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  24. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a kind of play
  2. lean — to bend
  3. staff — employees
  4. craft — a skill
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. root — the cause
  7. chair — a professorship
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. staff — a stick
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. track — a path
  12. root — of a plant
  13. track — to keep track
  14. game — a match
  15. root — of a word
  16. staff — employees
  17. craft — a handicraft
  18. track — a song
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. lean — thin
  21. chair — to sit on
  22. craft — boats
  23. chair — a leader
  24. game — wild animals

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