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: spring · land · wax · root · chair · bulb · clip · temple

  1. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  2. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  3. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  6. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  9. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  12. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  13. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. When was this ________________ built?
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  21. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  22. When are we going to ________________?
  23. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  24. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a plant
  2. chair — a professorship
  3. clip — to cut
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. spring — a coil
  6. clip — a video
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. chair — to sit on
  9. temple — side of the head
  10. root — of a word
  11. spring — the season
  12. clip — for paper
  13. root — the cause
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. land — a country
  16. bulb — for light
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. bulb — for light
  19. wax — to grow
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. chair — a leader
  22. land — to come down
  23. spring — of water
  24. land — ground

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