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 116 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 broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  4. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  15. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  20. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  21. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  22. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. root — the cause
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. field — farmland
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. bass — low music
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. field — a subject
  11. root — of a word
  12. squash — the vegetable
  13. pitch — completely
  14. degree — an amount
  15. field — for sport
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. degree — from a university
  18. root — of a plant
  19. pitch — a sales talk
  20. squash — the sport
  21. degree — temperature
  22. pitch — a sports field
  23. squash — to crush
  24. bass — the fish

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