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 · file · spring · root · bulb · roll · press · foot

  1. We're on a ________________ here.
  2. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  5. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  6. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  9. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  10. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  13. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  14. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  15. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  16. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  17. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  18. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  19. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  22. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — on a roll
  2. root — of a plant
  3. root — of a word
  4. root — the cause
  5. press — a publisher
  6. file — a document
  7. press — newspapers
  8. roll — a list
  9. staff — employees
  10. spring — the season
  11. press — to push
  12. file — a tool
  13. spring — of water
  14. foot — part of the body
  15. foot — a measure
  16. staff — a stick
  17. spring — a coil
  18. roll — a cake
  19. staff — employees
  20. bulb — for light
  21. foot — the bottom
  22. file — a line of people
  23. bulb — for light
  24. bulb — of a plant

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