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. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  2. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  3. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  4. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  5. Where did you ________________ them?
  6. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  15. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  16. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  17. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  22. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.

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

Answer key

  1. season — of the year
  2. degree — an amount
  3. rule — government
  4. root — the cause
  5. mug — to rob
  6. mug — a face
  7. season — in sport
  8. fall — to drop
  9. root — of a word
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. mug — a cup
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. degree — from a university
  15. degree — temperature
  16. rule — a law
  17. fall — the season
  18. bulb — for light
  19. fall — to drop
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. rule — to rule out
  22. root — of a plant
  23. bulb — for light
  24. patient — calm and waiting

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