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: date · jam · key · root · cell · bulb · ground · present

  1. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  2. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. There's no middle ________________.
  4. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  5. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  6. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  13. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  14. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  17. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  18. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  19. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  20. Have you settled on a ________________?
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. He was locked up in a ________________.
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — to spread on bread
  2. present — there
  3. ground — a position
  4. root — the cause
  5. jam — in traffic
  6. ground — the earth
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. cell — in biology
  9. key — the most important part
  10. cell — a phone
  11. key — for a lock
  12. present — a gift
  13. date — the fruit
  14. jam — a tight spot
  15. key — in music
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. ground — crushed
  18. root — of a word
  19. present — the time now
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. root — of a plant
  22. bulb — for light
  23. cell — in a prison
  24. bulb — for light

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