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: coach · rock · sharp · nail · branch · bulb · toast · root

  1. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  2. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — a drink to someone
  2. rock — music
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. root — of a word
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. bulb — for light
  10. sharp — clever
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. toast — bread
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. branch — a division
  17. rock — a stone
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. bulb — for light
  20. toast — the most admired
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. root — the cause
  23. root — of a plant
  24. bulb — of a plant

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