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: march · pitcher · rock · branch · kick · deal · root · swing

  1. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  2. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  3. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  8. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  9. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  15. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  16. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. David sat on the ________________.
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  24. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.

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

Answer key

  1. root — the cause
  2. kick — a thrill
  3. swing — in golf
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. rock — music
  7. swing — music
  8. root — of a plant
  9. march — music
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. branch — a division
  12. kick — with a leg
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. march — the month
  15. root — of a word
  16. deal — a big deal
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. march — the month
  20. rock — a stone
  21. deal — to handle
  22. swing — to play on
  23. deal — an agreement
  24. kick — in football

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