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 116 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 hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  12. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  18. There's no middle ________________.
  19. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  23. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  24. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — part of the body
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. rock — music
  4. face — part of the head
  5. rock — a stone
  6. present — a gift
  7. field — a subject
  8. hand — in cards
  9. pit — in a race
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. field — farmland
  12. root — the cause
  13. face — to point toward
  14. pit — a hole
  15. field — for sport
  16. present — the time now
  17. ground — the earth
  18. ground — a position
  19. hand — help
  20. present — there
  21. ground — crushed
  22. face — to confront
  23. root — of a word
  24. root — of a plant

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