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 players ran onto the football ________________.
  2. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  14. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  17. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  18. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  19. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. False peace will not ________________.
  23. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sports field
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. game — a match
  4. root — of a plant
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. file — a line of people
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. root — of a word
  9. stand — to bear
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. last — finally
  12. game — wild animals
  13. file — a document
  14. last — final
  15. bear — the animal
  16. squash — the vegetable
  17. squash — to crush
  18. file — a tool
  19. root — the cause
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. pitch — completely
  22. last — to go on
  23. squash — the sport
  24. bear — the animal

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