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: board · bound · land · root · game · staff · band · file

  1. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  2. When are we going to ________________?
  3. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  4. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  5. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  6. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  7. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  8. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  9. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  10. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  11. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  19. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  20. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a line of people
  2. land — to come down
  3. land — a country
  4. band — a music group
  5. staff — a stick
  6. file — a document
  7. staff — employees
  8. file — a tool
  9. band — a ring
  10. staff — employees
  11. land — ground
  12. bound — certain
  13. root — of a plant
  14. game — a match
  15. band — a rubber band
  16. bound — tied together
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. root — of a word
  19. root — the cause
  20. game — wild animals
  21. board — a committee
  22. game — a kind of play
  23. board — to get on
  24. bound — obliged

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