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: trunk · root · row · hand · mine · rush · roll · toast

  1. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  2. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  5. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  8. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  12. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  13. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  14. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  15. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  18. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  19. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  20. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  21. We're on a ________________ here.
  22. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  23. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. rush — hurry
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. row — to paddle
  4. toast — bread
  5. roll — a list
  6. root — the cause
  7. trunk — of an elephant
  8. trunk — of a car
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. roll — a cake
  12. toast — a drink to someone
  13. row — a line
  14. toast — the most admired
  15. root — of a word
  16. root — of a plant
  17. hand — in cards
  18. row — a quarrel
  19. mine — an explosive
  20. mine — for digging
  21. roll — on a roll
  22. mine — belonging to me
  23. hand — part of the body
  24. hand — help

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