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: bank · land · club · content · key · root · squash · mine

  1. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  2. When are we going to ________________?
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  11. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  14. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  17. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  18. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  19. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  20. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  24. He was blown up by a land ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for golf
  2. land — to come down
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. land — ground
  5. bank — of a river
  6. root — of a word
  7. key — in music
  8. key — for a lock
  9. bank — for money
  10. land — a country
  11. club — for dancing
  12. bank — for money
  13. content — videos and posts
  14. mine — belonging to me
  15. squash — to crush
  16. squash — the sport
  17. root — of a plant
  18. content — the amount
  19. mine — for digging
  20. root — the cause
  21. key — the most important part
  22. club — a group
  23. content — happy
  24. mine — an explosive

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