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: race · root · tear · pass · bear · object · field · spring

  1. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  3. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  6. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  12. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  15. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  16. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  19. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  20. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  21. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  22. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  23. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  24. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. tear — to rip
  3. spring — of water
  4. bear — the animal
  5. object — to protest
  6. field — for sport
  7. root — of a plant
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. spring — a coil
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. field — farmland
  12. object — a thing
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. race — humankind
  15. tear — from crying
  16. field — a subject
  17. pass — a permit
  18. race — a contest
  19. spring — the season
  20. tear — from crying
  21. object — an aim
  22. root — the cause
  23. root — of a word
  24. race — the arms race

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