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: board · arm · charge · root · roll · wake · rule · branch

  1. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. We're on a ________________ here.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  17. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  23. My father caught me by the ________________.
  24. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. branch — a division
  3. roll — a cake
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. board — a committee
  6. charge — a price
  7. root — of a word
  8. wake — a trail
  9. charge — electricity
  10. board — to get on
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. roll — on a roll
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. arm — a part of something
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. rule — to rule out
  17. rule — government
  18. charge — in control
  19. rule — a law
  20. root — of a plant
  21. root — the cause
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. roll — a list

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