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: stem · march · safe · roll · bass · root · ground · pass

  1. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  2. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  8. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  9. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. We're on a ________________ here.
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  19. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  20. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  21. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  22. There's no middle ________________.
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  24. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. pass — a permit
  3. stem — to come from
  4. root — the cause
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. root — of a word
  7. stem — a stem cell
  8. root — of a plant
  9. march — music
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. ground — crushed
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. roll — on a roll
  14. bass — low music
  15. march — the month
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. roll — a list
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. ground — the earth
  20. roll — a cake
  21. pass — to spend time
  22. ground — a position
  23. bass — the fish
  24. pass — to succeed

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