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. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  2. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  7. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  10. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  17. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — a straw man
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. present — a gift
  5. present — the time now
  6. field — farmland
  7. stem — to come from
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. straw — dry grass
  10. straw — to clutch at straws
  11. root — of a word
  12. root — the cause
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. vault — a safe
  15. root — of a plant
  16. field — for sport
  17. field — a subject
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. present — there
  22. wax — to grow
  23. vault — an arched ceiling
  24. mouse — the animal

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