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 · calf · band · staff · race · cell · ground · net

  1. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  2. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  4. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  5. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  6. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  7. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  8. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  9. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. He was locked up in a ________________.
  18. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  19. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. There's no middle ________________.
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  24. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!

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

Answer key

  1. band — a rubber band
  2. ground — the earth
  3. staff — a stick
  4. race — a contest
  5. cell — in biology
  6. band — a music group
  7. staff — employees
  8. race — humankind
  9. band — a ring
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. root — the cause
  12. root — of a plant
  13. net — for catching
  14. net — in sport
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. net — after costs
  17. cell — in a prison
  18. race — the arms race
  19. ground — crushed
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. ground — a position
  22. root — of a word
  23. staff — employees
  24. cell — a phone

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