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 116 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 · drill · root · clip · club · chip · rest · wind

  1. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  6. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  9. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  10. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  17. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  18. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  19. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  20. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  21. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  22. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  23. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  24. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. clip — for paper
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. drill — army training
  6. wind — moving air
  7. root — of a plant
  8. wind — to turn a key
  9. clip — to cut
  10. club — for dancing
  11. rest — what's left
  12. chip — for betting
  13. rest — a break
  14. root — of a word
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. club — a group
  17. root — the cause
  18. club — for golf
  19. clip — a video
  20. drill — a practice
  21. drill — the tool
  22. rest — what's left
  23. wind — moving air
  24. chip — to eat

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