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 flowers bloom in the ________________.
  2. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  20. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  21. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  22. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  23. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  24. She had a strange look on her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — the season
  2. pit — a hole
  3. spring — of water
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. row — to paddle
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. face — to confront
  8. face — to point toward
  9. board — a committee
  10. root — the cause
  11. spring — a coil
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. wake — a trail
  14. board — to get on
  15. field — a subject
  16. pit — in a race
  17. root — of a word
  18. root — of a plant
  19. field — for sport
  20. field — farmland
  21. row — a quarrel
  22. pit — a fruit stone
  23. row — a line
  24. face — part of the head

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