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 ________________ change colour in autumn.
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  15. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  16. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  19. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  24. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — of a tree
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. root — of a word
  4. face — to point toward
  5. tear — from crying
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. stem — to come from
  8. face — to confront
  9. content — happy
  10. root — the cause
  11. bass — the fish
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. face — part of the head
  15. content — the amount
  16. tear — to rip
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. tear — from crying
  19. stem — of a plant
  20. root — of a plant
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. bass — low music
  23. content — videos and posts
  24. patient — a sick person

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