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 nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. David sat on the ________________.
  21. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. field — farmland
  3. root — of a word
  4. pit — in a race
  5. root — the cause
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. field — for sport
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. root — of a plant
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. track — a path
  13. swing — in golf
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. ball — a great time
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. track — a song
  19. ball — a dance
  20. swing — to play on
  21. field — a subject
  22. pit — a hole
  23. swing — music
  24. track — to keep track

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