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 · cue · trunk · court · bear · current · bat · perch

  1. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  6. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  12. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  13. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  16. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  20. The ball is in your ________________.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  24. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a word
  2. bear — the animal
  3. current — electric
  4. cue — a hint
  5. root — of a plant
  6. bat — in an idiom
  7. cue — for pool
  8. current — happening now
  9. bat — for baseball
  10. perch — the fish
  11. cue — a signal
  12. court — of law
  13. bat — the animal
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. court — of a king
  16. trunk — of a car
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. bear — the animal
  19. trunk — of a tree
  20. court — for sport
  21. current — of water
  22. root — the cause
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. perch — for a bird

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