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: staff · temple · stick · spring · root · board · land · pitcher

  1. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  2. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  3. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  4. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  11. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. When was this ________________ built?
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  18. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  19. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  20. When are we going to ________________?
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  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. staff — employees
  2. root — of a word
  3. root — the cause
  4. spring — of water
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. staff — employees
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. board — to get on
  10. temple — side of the head
  11. spring — the season
  12. board — a committee
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. root — of a plant
  17. spring — a coil
  18. staff — a stick
  19. land — a country
  20. land — to come down
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. pitcher — a jug
  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