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. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  2. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  3. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  4. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  5. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  6. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  7. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  12. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  15. Did you ________________ the button?
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  18. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  19. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  20. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  21. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  22. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  23. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  24. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a ring
  2. root — the cause
  3. foot — a measure
  4. root — of a word
  5. rest — a break
  6. band — a music group
  7. stem — of a plant
  8. rest — what's left
  9. stem — to come from
  10. root — of a plant
  11. pitch — completely
  12. stem — a stem cell
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. press — a publisher
  15. press — to push
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. band — a rubber band
  18. foot — the bottom
  19. press — newspapers
  20. cap — a lid
  21. foot — part of the body
  22. cap — a hat
  23. cap — of ice
  24. rest — what's left

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