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. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  2. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  5. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  6. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  7. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  8. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  19. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  23. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  24. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a hole
  2. season — of the year
  3. scale — size or range
  4. root — of a word
  5. field — farmland
  6. file — a line of people
  7. scale — for weighing
  8. root — the cause
  9. bank — of a river
  10. scale — in music
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. file — a document
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. field — for sport
  15. bank — for money
  16. field — a subject
  17. season — in sport
  18. pit — in a race
  19. rest — a break
  20. root — of a plant
  21. rest — what's left
  22. rest — what's left
  23. file — a tool
  24. bank — for money

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