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. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  3. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  4. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. My father caught me by the ________________.
  14. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  15. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  19. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  20. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. field — for sport
  3. race — a contest
  4. field — a subject
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. current — happening now
  7. current — electric
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. root — the cause
  10. current — of water
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. race — the arms race
  15. race — humankind
  16. season — of the year
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. field — farmland
  19. root — of a word
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. season — in sport
  22. arm — a part of something
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. root — of a plant

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