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. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  2. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  7. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  10. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  20. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  21. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  22. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  23. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  24. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — a garden tool
  2. mate — a partner
  3. root — of a word
  4. rest — what's left
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. mate — a friend
  7. field — a subject
  8. mate — to breed
  9. field — for sport
  10. rule — a law
  11. craft — a skill
  12. rule — to rule out
  13. craft — boats
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. rest — a break
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. rest — what's left
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. field — farmland
  20. fork — to eat with
  21. rule — government
  22. root — of a plant
  23. root — the cause
  24. fork — in a road

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