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: nail · root · staff · prune · spring · fan · chest · board

  1. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  2. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  5. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  6. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  19. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  20. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  21. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  22. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  23. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — the season
  2. spring — a coil
  3. root — of a plant
  4. root — of a word
  5. staff — employees
  6. staff — employees
  7. prune — to trim
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. chest — a box
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. root — the cause
  14. board — a committee
  15. board — to get on
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. prune — to trim
  19. prune — the fruit
  20. chest — of your body
  21. chest — of your body
  22. staff — a stick
  23. spring — of water
  24. fan — a supporter

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