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 120 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: tear · root · board · cell · rule · plane · track · mine

  1. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  4. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. He was locked up in a ________________.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  18. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  19. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  20. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  23. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  24. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — a law
  2. board — to get on
  3. rule — to rule out
  4. root — of a plant
  5. plane — a tool
  6. cell — a phone
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. track — to keep track
  10. track — a song
  11. track — a path
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. cell — in a prison
  14. board — a committee
  15. root — of a word
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. mine — for digging
  18. mine — an explosive
  19. tear — from crying
  20. rule — government
  21. root — the cause
  22. tear — from crying
  23. cell — in biology
  24. tear — to rip

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