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: chest · perch · root · key · calf · cabinet · file · bass

  1. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  4. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  15. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  20. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  21. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.

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

Answer key

  1. root — the cause
  2. key — for a lock
  3. file — a line of people
  4. file — a document
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. bass — the fish
  7. file — a tool
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. key — the most important part
  10. key — in music
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. bass — low music
  14. perch — the fish
  15. chest — of your body
  16. root — of a plant
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. chest — of your body
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. root — of a word
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. bass — the instrument
  24. chest — a box

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