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 120 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 · scale · spell · game · arm · tear · staff · straw

  1. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  4. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  5. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  8. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  11. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  12. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  13. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  14. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  15. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. My father caught me by the ________________.
  19. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  20. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  21. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  22. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  24. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. spell — a short time
  3. staff — a stick
  4. root — of a word
  5. tear — to rip
  6. root — the cause
  7. scale — for weighing
  8. staff — employees
  9. game — a match
  10. scale — size or range
  11. tear — from crying
  12. staff — employees
  13. arm — a part of something
  14. straw — to clutch at straws
  15. straw — a straw man
  16. root — of a plant
  17. spell — letters
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. game — wild animals
  20. scale — in music
  21. game — a kind of play
  22. tear — from crying
  23. straw — dry grass
  24. spell — magic

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