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. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  2. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. When was this ________________ built?
  5. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  8. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  13. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  18. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  21. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  22. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  23. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  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. root — of a word
  2. stem — a stem cell
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. stem — to come from
  8. tear — from crying
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. pound — for dogs
  11. bulb — for light
  12. pass — a permit
  13. tear — from crying
  14. bulb — for light
  15. root — of a plant
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. pound — a weight
  18. stem — of a plant
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. pound — to hit hard
  21. tear — to rip
  22. root — the cause
  23. temple — side of the head
  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