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: leaves · trunk · net · spell · calf · pitcher · root · march

  1. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  20. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  21. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a word
  2. spell — a short time
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. net — for catching
  5. march — the month
  6. spell — letters
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. march — the month
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. root — of a plant
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. trunk — of a tree
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. march — music
  18. net — after costs
  19. trunk — of an elephant
  20. root — the cause
  21. spell — magic
  22. net — in sport
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  24. calf — a young animal

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