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 · net · object · race · band · club · prune · saw

  1. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  2. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  3. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  4. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  5. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  8. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  9. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  10. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  11. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  22. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  23. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  24. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. club — a group
  2. club — for golf
  3. prune — to trim
  4. band — a music group
  5. band — a ring
  6. root — the cause
  7. race — a contest
  8. root — of a word
  9. race — humankind
  10. prune — to trim
  11. club — for dancing
  12. net — for catching
  13. band — a rubber band
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. object — an aim
  16. root — of a plant
  17. net — in sport
  18. saw — the tool
  19. object — to protest
  20. saw — the tool
  21. prune — the fruit
  22. object — a thing
  23. net — after costs
  24. race — the arms race

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