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. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  2. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  3. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  4. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  13. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  19. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. field — a subject
  2. root — the cause
  3. field — for sport
  4. straw — a straw man
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. prune — to trim
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. root — of a word
  11. bear — the animal
  12. root — of a plant
  13. straw — dry grass
  14. bear — the animal
  15. prune — the fruit
  16. track — to keep track
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. field — farmland
  19. prune — to trim
  20. perch — the fish
  21. dip — to sink
  22. track — a path
  23. track — a song
  24. perch — for a bird

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