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. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  2. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  5. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  17. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. You don't need to ________________ round.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to sink
  2. track — a song
  3. track — a path
  4. field — farmland
  5. field — a subject
  6. bear — the animal
  7. spring — the season
  8. bear — the animal
  9. pop — soda
  10. field — for sport
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. track — to keep track
  13. root — of a word
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. spring — a coil
  17. spring — of water
  18. ruler — a monarch
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. pop — music
  21. root — the cause
  22. root — of a plant
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. pop — to visit

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