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: spring · plane · rule · file · stick · root · object · board

  1. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  12. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  13. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  14. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  15. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  20. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  21. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  22. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  24. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. rule — a law
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. spring — of water
  6. board — a committee
  7. spring — the season
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. root — of a word
  10. plane — a tool
  11. file — a line of people
  12. file — a tool
  13. root — the cause
  14. spring — a coil
  15. rule — government
  16. board — to get on
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. object — an aim
  20. file — a document
  21. rule — to rule out
  22. object — to protest
  23. root — of a plant
  24. object — a thing

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