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. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  3. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  8. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. We're on a ________________ here.
  19. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. roll — a cake
  3. root — the cause
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. kid — child
  8. kid — to tease
  9. root — of a word
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. ball — a dance
  13. track — a path
  14. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  15. track — to keep track
  16. ball — a great time
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. roll — on a roll
  19. bass — the instrument
  20. root — of a plant
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. bass — the fish
  23. roll — a list
  24. bass — low music

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