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. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  3. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  4. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  8. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  9. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  14. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  15. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  16. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  17. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  18. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  19. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  20. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  23. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  24. My mare is ________________ in color.

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

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. wind — to turn a key
  3. field — for sport
  4. field — a subject
  5. root — of a word
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. wind — moving air
  8. wound — an injury
  9. mine — an explosive
  10. root — of a plant
  11. field — farmland
  12. present — the time now
  13. mine — belonging to me
  14. wound — an injury
  15. chair — to sit on
  16. root — the cause
  17. wound — past of 'wind'
  18. chair — a leader
  19. bay — to keep at bay
  20. chair — a professorship
  21. present — there
  22. mine — for digging
  23. wind — moving air
  24. bay — a horse colour

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