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. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  2. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  7. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  13. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  14. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  18. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  19. When will it ________________ you to start?
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  22. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  23. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  24. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — from a university
  2. root — of a word
  3. charge — a price
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. root — the cause
  6. field — farmland
  7. degree — an amount
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. suit — clothes
  11. charge — electricity
  12. root — of a plant
  13. degree — temperature
  14. patient — calm and waiting
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. charge — in control
  17. field — for sport
  18. field — a subject
  19. suit — to fit
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. suit — in cards
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. perch — the fish

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