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. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  2. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  3. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  8. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  9. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  12. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  13. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  14. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  20. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  21. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  22. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  24. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — a meteor shower
  2. root — the cause
  3. field — farmland
  4. fine — high quality
  5. tear — from crying
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. staff — employees
  8. root — of a word
  9. fall — to drop
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. shower — rain
  12. tear — from crying
  13. shower — to wash
  14. field — a subject
  15. fine — all right
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. staff — a stick
  18. root — of a plant
  19. fall — the season
  20. field — for sport
  21. fall — to drop
  22. tear — to rip
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. staff — employees

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