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 stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  2. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  3. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. We're almost out of ________________.
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  13. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  22. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  24. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.

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

Answer key

  1. field — for sport
  2. wave — a sudden rise
  3. field — farmland
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. pop — soda
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. pop — music
  9. root — the cause
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. root — of a word
  13. field — a subject
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. staff — employees
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. pop — to visit
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. staff — a stick
  22. root — of a plant
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. staff — employees

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