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. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  7. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. We're on a ________________ here.
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  20. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  21. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  22. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  23. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  24. The ________________ took off on time.

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. root — of a plant
  4. field — a subject
  5. root — of a word
  6. tear — from crying
  7. pass — to succeed
  8. stock — goods
  9. field — farmland
  10. stock — shares
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. roll — on a roll
  13. pass — a permit
  14. current — happening now
  15. root — the cause
  16. plane — a tool
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. current — electric
  19. roll — a cake
  20. field — for sport
  21. tear — to rip
  22. tear — from crying
  23. roll — a list
  24. plane — an aircraft

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