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: shower · root · patient · craft · press · track · march · cell

  1. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  2. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  5. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  6. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  9. Did you ________________ the button?
  10. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  11. He was locked up in a ________________.
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  17. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  24. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. track — to keep track
  3. craft — a handicraft
  4. cell — in biology
  5. press — a publisher
  6. shower — rain
  7. track — a song
  8. root — the cause
  9. press — to push
  10. cell — a phone
  11. cell — in a prison
  12. press — newspapers
  13. root — of a word
  14. shower — to wash
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. march — music
  17. craft — a skill
  18. track — a path
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. root — of a plant
  21. march — the month
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. craft — boats
  24. shower — a meteor shower

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