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 120 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: trunk · ground · bass · hand · row · court · club · root

  1. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  2. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. The ball is in your ________________.
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  8. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  16. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  17. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  20. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  21. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  22. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  23. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  24. Add some ________________ pepper to it.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a plant
  2. row — a quarrel
  3. ground — the earth
  4. court — for sport
  5. ground — a position
  6. root — of a word
  7. hand — help
  8. row — a line
  9. bass — the fish
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. row — to paddle
  12. bass — low music
  13. club — for dancing
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. club — for golf
  16. trunk — of an elephant
  17. root — the cause
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. court — of law
  20. court — of a king
  21. hand — part of the body
  22. club — a group
  23. hand — in cards
  24. ground — crushed

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