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: row · prune · mine · land · court · rest · root · sharp

  1. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  4. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  5. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  9. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  10. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  13. When are we going to ________________?
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  19. The ball is in your ________________.
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  22. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  24. A ________________ is just a dried plum.

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

Answer key

  1. root — the cause
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. land — a country
  4. row — a quarrel
  5. rest — what's left
  6. sharp — clever
  7. rest — a break
  8. court — of a king
  9. row — a line
  10. land — ground
  11. root — of a word
  12. prune — to trim
  13. land — to come down
  14. prune — to trim
  15. row — to paddle
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. court — of law
  19. court — for sport
  20. rest — what's left
  21. mine — an explosive
  22. mine — for digging
  23. root — of a plant
  24. prune — the fruit

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