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: leaves · club · stick · drill · season · root · temple · ground

  1. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. There's no middle ________________.
  3. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. When was this ________________ built?
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. Did you ________________ the meat?
  10. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  19. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  20. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  21. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  24. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. ground — a position
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. drill — a practice
  7. club — for golf
  8. season — in sport
  9. season — to add flavour
  10. ground — the earth
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. root — of a word
  13. root — of a plant
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. ground — crushed
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. club — for dancing
  19. drill — army training
  20. temple — side of the head
  21. club — a group
  22. season — of the year
  23. root — the cause
  24. drill — the tool

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