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 120 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 nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  3. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  4. David sat on the ________________.
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  12. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  15. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  24. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. root — the cause
  3. staff — employees
  4. swing — to play on
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. swing — music
  7. root — of a word
  8. stem — to come from
  9. rash — a series
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. rash — on the skin
  12. pass — a permit
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. patient — calm and waiting
  15. staff — a stick
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. staff — employees
  18. root — of a plant
  19. rash — hasty
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. stem — of a plant
  24. swing — in golf

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