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: toast · tube · wave · root · chest · stem · season · content

  1. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  19. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  20. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  21. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  24. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a word
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. toast — a drink to someone
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. root — of a plant
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. root — the cause
  8. season — in sport
  9. tube — the underground
  10. chest — of your body
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. content — the amount
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. toast — bread
  15. stem — to come from
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. chest — a box
  19. content — videos and posts
  20. toast — the most admired
  21. season — of the year
  22. tube — a container
  23. content — happy
  24. chest — of your body

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