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. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  5. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  22. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  24. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. field — for sport
  3. season — in sport
  4. root — of a plant
  5. field — farmland
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. bore — to drill
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. root — the cause
  10. field — a subject
  11. stock — goods
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. deal — to handle
  15. stock — shares
  16. deal — a big deal
  17. season — of the year
  18. bore — to tire
  19. root — of a word
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. fall — to drop
  22. fall — the season
  23. deal — an agreement
  24. fall — to drop

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