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: bay · root · pitch · field · mine · lean · race · drill

  1. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  2. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  3. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  4. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  5. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  12. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  13. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  14. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  22. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. The players ran onto the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. bay — to keep at bay
  3. mine — for digging
  4. field — a subject
  5. pitch — a sales talk
  6. pitch — completely
  7. mine — belonging to me
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. race — humankind
  10. root — of a word
  11. mine — an explosive
  12. drill — a practice
  13. race — the arms race
  14. field — for sport
  15. drill — army training
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. race — a contest
  18. root — of a plant
  19. root — the cause
  20. lean — to bend
  21. field — farmland
  22. drill — the tool
  23. lean — thin
  24. pitch — a sports field

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