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: root · spring · foot · object · deal · key · staff · bat

  1. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  2. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  5. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  6. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  7. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  8. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  12. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  13. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  14. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  19. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  22. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  23. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  24. The old man leaned on his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. object — to protest
  2. root — the cause
  3. root — of a plant
  4. object — an aim
  5. staff — employees
  6. foot — a measure
  7. object — a thing
  8. staff — employees
  9. key — for a lock
  10. key — the most important part
  11. bat — the animal
  12. foot — part of the body
  13. spring — a coil
  14. spring — of water
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. deal — to handle
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. foot — the bottom
  19. bat — in an idiom
  20. key — in music
  21. spring — the season
  22. bat — for baseball
  23. root — of a word
  24. staff — a stick

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