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 120 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 need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  2. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  3. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  6. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  7. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  15. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  16. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  17. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  18. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  19. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  20. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. root — the cause
  2. mine — for digging
  3. field — for sport
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. degree — an amount
  6. content — happy
  7. field — a subject
  8. bulb — for light
  9. can — a tin
  10. root — of a word
  11. degree — from a university
  12. can — to be able to
  13. can — a tin
  14. mine — belonging to me
  15. degree — temperature
  16. race — humankind
  17. mine — an explosive
  18. content — videos and posts
  19. content — the amount
  20. race — a contest
  21. root — of a plant
  22. field — farmland
  23. bulb — for light
  24. race — the arms race

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