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 ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a word
  2. fine — all right
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. field — a subject
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. field — farmland
  7. root — of a plant
  8. field — for sport
  9. rush — hurry
  10. fine — high quality
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. mark — a grade
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. root — the cause
  15. saw — the tool
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. saw — the tool
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. lie — to recline
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. mark — a trace
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. rush — to hurry

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