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. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  2. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  3. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  9. There's no middle ________________.
  10. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  11. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  12. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  18. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  21. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  22. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  23. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. field — a subject
  2. net — after costs
  3. root — the cause
  4. spell — a short time
  5. ground — crushed
  6. rest — what's left
  7. rest — what's left
  8. root — of a word
  9. ground — a position
  10. ground — the earth
  11. rest — a break
  12. object — a thing
  13. spell — magic
  14. object — to protest
  15. root — of a plant
  16. spell — letters
  17. club — for dancing
  18. field — for sport
  19. net — for catching
  20. club — for golf
  21. club — a group
  22. field — farmland
  23. object — an aim
  24. net — in sport

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