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 124 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 muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  2. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. Have you settled on a ________________?
  14. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  17. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  18. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  19. The ball is in your ________________.
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a path
  2. root — of a word
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. date — the fruit
  5. craft — a skill
  6. court — of a king
  7. track — to keep track
  8. track — a song
  9. craft — boats
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. root — of a plant
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. court — of law
  18. patient — calm and waiting
  19. court — for sport
  20. lie — to recline
  21. root — the cause
  22. pass — a permit
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. pass — to spend time

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