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 124 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 newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  2. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  5. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  6. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  7. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  16. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  17. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  20. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  21. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — the bottom
  2. field — farmland
  3. current — of water
  4. root — of a word
  5. root — of a plant
  6. field — for sport
  7. bat — the animal
  8. lie — to recline
  9. can — to be able to
  10. foot — a measure
  11. can — a tin
  12. bat — for baseball
  13. current — happening now
  14. can — a tin
  15. bat — in an idiom
  16. row — a quarrel
  17. root — the cause
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. row — a line
  20. foot — part of the body
  21. row — to paddle
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. field — a subject
  24. current — electric

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