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: hide · bore · nail · root · degree · wax · staff · bowl

  1. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  2. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  6. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  9. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  13. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  24. The old man leaned on his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. root — the cause
  2. degree — from a university
  3. root — of a plant
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. degree — an amount
  6. staff — employees
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. bowl — a football final
  9. bowl — a dish
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. degree — temperature
  13. bowl — to roll
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. root — of a word
  19. bore — to drill
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. staff — employees
  22. wax — to grow
  23. bore — to tire
  24. staff — a stick

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