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: branch · cap · wave · root · arm · game · rush · board

  1. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  2. That was a fun ________________.
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  12. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. My father caught me by the ________________.
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  21. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. game — a match
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. game — a kind of play
  7. cap — a lid
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. arm — a part of something
  12. root — of a word
  13. cap — a hat
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. cap — of ice
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. board — to get on
  19. rush — hurry
  20. root — the cause
  21. game — wild animals
  22. branch — a division
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. root — 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