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: bore · mate · stem · ground · date · root · key · bay

  1. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  2. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. Have you settled on a ________________?
  9. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  13. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  19. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  24. There's no middle ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — to keep at bay
  2. mate — a partner
  3. root — the cause
  4. key — in music
  5. key — the most important part
  6. mate — a friend
  7. bore — to drill
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. ground — crushed
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. mate — to breed
  12. root — of a word
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. root — of a plant
  16. key — for a lock
  17. stem — to come from
  18. date — the fruit
  19. stem — of a plant
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. bay — a part of the sea
  22. bore — to tire
  23. ground — the earth
  24. ground — a position

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