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 · club · root · ground · pop · wound · mark · fork

  1. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  2. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  12. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  17. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. There's no middle ________________.
  20. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  24. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.

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

Answer key

  1. club — a group
  2. wound — past of 'wind'
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. ground — crushed
  5. root — of a word
  6. mark — a grade
  7. club — for dancing
  8. pop — music
  9. board — to get on
  10. pop — soda
  11. root — of a plant
  12. fork — in a road
  13. mark — a trace
  14. ground — the earth
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. fork — a garden tool
  17. club — for golf
  18. board — a committee
  19. ground — a position
  20. wound — an injury
  21. root — the cause
  22. pop — to visit
  23. wound — an injury
  24. fork — to eat with

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