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 ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  2. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  4. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  7. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. That was a fun ________________.
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a word
  2. rest — what's left
  3. game — a kind of play
  4. game — wild animals
  5. mate — to breed
  6. field — farmland
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. field — a subject
  11. rest — what's left
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. pass — a permit
  14. rest — a break
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. mate — a partner
  17. root — the cause
  18. root — of a plant
  19. game — a match
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. sharp — clever
  23. field — for sport
  24. mate — a friend

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