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 120 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: chair · bulb · branch · row · root · spring · calf · rest

  1. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  5. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  15. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  16. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  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. chair — a professorship
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. row — to paddle
  4. rest — what's left
  5. chair — a leader
  6. rest — a break
  7. row — a quarrel
  8. rest — what's left
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. spring — the season
  11. root — the cause
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. bulb — for light
  14. root — of a plant
  15. spring — a coil
  16. spring — of water
  17. bulb — for light
  18. row — a line
  19. branch — a division
  20. root — of a word
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. chair — to sit on
  23. branch — of a bank
  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