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: face · game · root · bulb · land · hand · branch · firm

  1. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  5. That was a fun ________________.
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. When are we going to ________________?
  15. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  22. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  23. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  24. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — part of the body
  2. land — ground
  3. firm — decided
  4. root — the cause
  5. game — a match
  6. face — part of the head
  7. land — a country
  8. hand — in cards
  9. face — to point toward
  10. game — wild animals
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. branch — a division
  13. hand — help
  14. land — to come down
  15. root — of a word
  16. bulb — for light
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. firm — steady
  19. bulb — for light
  20. root — of a plant
  21. firm — a company
  22. face — to confront
  23. game — a kind of play
  24. branch — of a bank

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