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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: bark · rash · field · lie · racket · root · bear · pit

  1. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  2. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  3. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  11. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  18. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — in a race
  2. field — farmland
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. lie — to recline
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. bark — to shout
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. field — a subject
  9. root — of a word
  10. bark — a dog's sound
  11. field — for sport
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. root — of a plant
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. root — the cause
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. bark — of a tree
  18. rash — a series
  19. pit — a hole
  20. rash — hasty
  21. bear — the animal
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. pit — a fruit stone
  24. bear — the animal

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