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: board · root · degree · nail · branch · bat · file · date

  1. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  4. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  9. Have you settled on a ________________?
  10. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  11. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  16. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  17. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  24. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. degree — temperature
  4. bat — the animal
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. root — of a plant
  8. file — a line of people
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. bat — in an idiom
  11. degree — an amount
  12. branch — a division
  13. file — a tool
  14. board — a committee
  15. date — the fruit
  16. root — of a word
  17. degree — from a university
  18. root — the cause
  19. bat — for baseball
  20. board — to get on
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. file — a document
  24. date — on the calendar

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