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 · club · sharp · branch · swing · mine · temple · hide

  1. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  3. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  4. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  5. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  6. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. When was this ________________ built?
  11. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  20. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  21. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  22. David sat on the ________________.
  23. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  24. She's sitting on a gold ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. root — the cause
  3. club — for golf
  4. root — of a plant
  5. swing — in golf
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. club — for dancing
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. mine — an explosive
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. temple — side of the head
  17. branch — a division
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. club — a group
  20. swing — music
  21. root — of a word
  22. swing — to play on
  23. mine — belonging to me
  24. mine — for digging

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