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 116 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 · row · calf · mark · staff · current · ground · perch

  1. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  2. There's no middle ________________.
  3. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  4. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  5. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  6. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  15. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  19. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — a stick
  2. ground — a position
  3. row — a quarrel
  4. root — the cause
  5. row — a line
  6. row — to paddle
  7. ground — the earth
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. staff — employees
  10. current — happening now
  11. current — of water
  12. root — of a word
  13. mark — a grade
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. perch — the fish
  16. current — electric
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. staff — employees
  19. root — of a plant
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. ground — crushed
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. mark — a trace

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