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. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  4. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  8. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  9. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  21. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  24. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a word
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. degree — from a university
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. degree — temperature
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. stem — a stem cell
  8. kick — a thrill
  9. scale — size or range
  10. root — of a plant
  11. stock — shares
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. stock — goods
  14. kick — in football
  15. root — the cause
  16. scale — in music
  17. stem — to come from
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. degree — an amount
  21. scale — for weighing
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  24. kick — with a leg

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