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. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  4. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. David sat on the ________________.
  7. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  8. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  19. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  20. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  21. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  22. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  23. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a music group
  2. board — to get on
  3. foot — part of the body
  4. field — a subject
  5. root — of a word
  6. swing — to play on
  7. band — a rubber band
  8. root — of a plant
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. swing — in golf
  11. ball — a dance
  12. board — a committee
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. bear — the animal
  16. band — a ring
  17. ball — a great time
  18. foot — the bottom
  19. foot — a measure
  20. field — for sport
  21. swing — music
  22. field — farmland
  23. root — the cause
  24. bear — the animal

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