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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  4. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  12. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  13. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  14. When are we going to ________________?
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  23. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  24. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — part of the body
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. field — for sport
  4. firm — steady
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. land — a country
  7. root — of a word
  8. field — a subject
  9. root — the cause
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. hand — in cards
  12. spring — the season
  13. spring — of water
  14. land — to come down
  15. root — of a plant
  16. hand — help
  17. firm — a company
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. field — farmland
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. spring — a coil
  23. firm — decided
  24. land — ground

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