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. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  2. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  4. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  5. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  6. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  18. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  21. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  22. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  23. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  24. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — part of the body
  2. tube — the underground
  3. snap — to snap out of it
  4. root — of a word
  5. foot — a measure
  6. field — for sport
  7. net — for catching
  8. net — after costs
  9. root — the cause
  10. foot — the bottom
  11. pass — a permit
  12. tube — a container
  13. snap — to click
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. root — of a plant
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. field — farmland
  18. field — a subject
  19. net — in sport
  20. shower — rain
  21. snap — to speak sharply
  22. shower — to wash
  23. pass — to spend time
  24. shower — a meteor shower

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