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: field · degree · ball · ruler · deal · last · root · coach

  1. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  2. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  8. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  9. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  10. False peace will not ________________.
  11. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  12. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  16. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  17. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  20. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. root — of a plant
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. root — of a word
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. field — for sport
  9. degree — temperature
  10. last — to go on
  11. last — final
  12. degree — an amount
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. ball — a great time
  15. degree — from a university
  16. root — the cause
  17. field — farmland
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. deal — to handle
  20. last — finally
  21. ball — a dance
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. field — a subject
  24. ball — a round shape

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