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: root · land · arm · key · stem · temple · bat · wake

  1. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. When was this ________________ built?
  4. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  5. When are we going to ________________?
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  10. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  11. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. My father caught me by the ________________.
  15. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  19. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  22. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  23. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  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. arm — a part of something
  2. wake — a trail
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. temple — side of the head
  5. land — to come down
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. stem — a stem cell
  8. key — for a lock
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. bat — the animal
  11. bat — in an idiom
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. key — the most important part
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. land — ground
  16. key — in music
  17. root — the cause
  18. stem — to come from
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. root — of a plant
  21. land — a country
  22. stem — of a plant
  23. root — of a word
  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