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: deal · mine · stand · root · perch · firm · branch · club

  1. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  2. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  3. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  4. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  10. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  17. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  20. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — an explosive
  2. mine — belonging to me
  3. firm — a company
  4. club — for golf
  5. stand — to bear
  6. root — of a word
  7. perch — the fish
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. firm — steady
  10. mine — for digging
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. root — of a plant
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. firm — decided
  15. root — the cause
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. deal — to handle
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. club — a group
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. branch — a division
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. club — for dancing

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