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: file · stem · root · chest · race · toast · racket · rule

  1. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  4. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  5. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  6. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  7. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  8. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  11. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  12. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  13. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  14. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  15. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  16. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  17. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  18. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  19. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  22. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  23. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  24. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — to rule out
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. rule — government
  4. toast — a drink to someone
  5. racket — a loud noise
  6. file — a tool
  7. race — the arms race
  8. root — of a word
  9. root — the cause
  10. chest — of your body
  11. race — a contest
  12. file — a line of people
  13. toast — bread
  14. stem — to come from
  15. chest — a box
  16. stem — a stem cell
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. file — a document
  19. toast — the most admired
  20. root — of a plant
  21. rule — a law
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. chest — of your body
  24. race — humankind

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