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. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  2. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. When are we going to ________________?
  5. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  6. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  7. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  8. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  12. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  17. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  18. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  19. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. There's no middle ________________.
  22. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  24. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.

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

Answer key

  1. root — the cause
  2. land — a country
  3. present — the time now
  4. land — to come down
  5. degree — from a university
  6. race — a contest
  7. race — the arms race
  8. race — humankind
  9. root — of a word
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. degree — temperature
  12. foot — the bottom
  13. present — a gift
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. degree — an amount
  18. foot — a measure
  19. ground — the earth
  20. root — of a plant
  21. ground — a position
  22. ground — crushed
  23. land — ground
  24. present — there

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