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 · pitcher · hand · coach · lean · pass · chair · ground

  1. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  2. There's no middle ________________.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  8. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  18. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  24. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a plant
  2. ground — a position
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. chair — a professorship
  8. chair — to sit on
  9. pass — a permit
  10. chair — a leader
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. lean — thin
  15. hand — help
  16. ground — crushed
  17. hand — in cards
  18. ground — the earth
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. hand — part of the body
  21. root — the cause
  22. lean — to bend
  23. root — of a word
  24. coach — pulled by horses

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