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: stick · bowl · spring · leaves · hand · chip · row · root

  1. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  2. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  3. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  4. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  17. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  19. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  22. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  23. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. hand — part of the body
  3. row — a quarrel
  4. root — of a plant
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. root — of a word
  7. bowl — to roll
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. chip — to eat
  10. hand — in cards
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. chip — for betting
  13. spring — of water
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. root — the cause
  16. spring — the season
  17. bowl — a football final
  18. bowl — a dish
  19. row — a line
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. hand — help
  22. spring — a coil
  23. row — to paddle
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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