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. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  2. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  5. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  6. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  7. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  14. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  15. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  18. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  21. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  24. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a plant
  2. fall — the season
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. fall — to drop
  5. wind — to turn a key
  6. race — a contest
  7. field — a subject
  8. scale — size or range
  9. wind — moving air
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. root — of a word
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. root — the cause
  14. field — farmland
  15. fall — to drop
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. wind — moving air
  18. race — humankind
  19. scale — in music
  20. scale — for weighing
  21. field — for sport
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. race — the arms race
  24. coach — a trainer

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