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: nail · face · game · track · bound · branch · root · rash

  1. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  13. That was a fun ________________.
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  23. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  24. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. root — of a plant
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. rash — on the skin
  6. track — a song
  7. rash — a series
  8. bound — tied together
  9. track — to keep track
  10. face — part of the head
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. root — of a word
  13. game — a match
  14. game — wild animals
  15. track — a path
  16. bound — obliged
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. rash — hasty
  20. bound — certain
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. face — to point toward
  23. root — the cause
  24. face — to confront

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