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: mine · root · bat · deal · lean · prune · row · calf

  1. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  2. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  5. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  9. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  10. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  24. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.

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

Answer key

  1. root — the cause
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. prune — the fruit
  5. root — of a plant
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. prune — to trim
  8. mine — for digging
  9. bat — in an idiom
  10. row — to paddle
  11. deal — to handle
  12. lean — thin
  13. prune — to trim
  14. bat — the animal
  15. lean — to bend
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. mine — an explosive
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. row — a line
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. root — of a word
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. row — a quarrel
  24. bat — for baseball

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