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 ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  8. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. You don't need to ________________ round.
  22. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. We ________________ up on opposing sides.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. root — of a word
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. wound — an injury
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. wound — an injury
  8. wave — with your hand
  9. pop — soda
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. field — farmland
  12. pop — music
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. field — for sport
  15. root — of a plant
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. field — a subject
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. pop — to visit
  22. root — the cause
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. wound — past of 'wind'

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