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. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  2. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  8. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  9. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  10. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  11. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  17. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  18. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. When was this ________________ built?
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  24. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a plant
  2. root — of a word
  3. rash — a series
  4. ball — a great time
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. net — for catching
  7. chest — of your body
  8. field — for sport
  9. temple — side of the head
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. chest — of your body
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. field — a subject
  17. root — the cause
  18. chest — a box
  19. rash — hasty
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. net — in sport
  22. ball — a dance
  23. net — after costs
  24. field — farmland

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