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: club · fork · board · bulb · drill · sharp · season · root

  1. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  2. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  5. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  11. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  17. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  18. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for golf
  2. season — of the year
  3. board — to get on
  4. club — for dancing
  5. drill — army training
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. board — a committee
  8. bulb — for light
  9. root — of a word
  10. drill — the tool
  11. drill — a practice
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. season — in sport
  14. club — a group
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. fork — a garden tool
  17. fork — in a road
  18. fork — to eat with
  19. bulb — for light
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. root — the cause
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. sharp — clever
  24. root — of a plant

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