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: season · rash · rule · root · chest · plane · track · bulb

  1. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  2. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  7. Don't do anything ________________.
  8. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  19. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — government
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. track — a path
  4. root — the cause
  5. root — of a word
  6. rule — to rule out
  7. rash — hasty
  8. chest — of your body
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. season — of the year
  11. track — a song
  12. plane — a tool
  13. track — to keep track
  14. season — in sport
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. root — of a plant
  17. bulb — for light
  18. chest — a box
  19. chest — of your body
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. rule — a law
  22. rash — a series
  23. season — to add flavour
  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