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: root · field · jam · wave · spell · trunk · ground · row

  1. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  2. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. There's no middle ________________.
  9. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  12. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  13. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  16. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  17. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  18. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  19. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  20. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  21. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  22. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  23. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  24. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. field — a subject
  2. jam — to spread on bread
  3. row — to paddle
  4. spell — a short time
  5. spell — letters
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. ground — a position
  9. ground — crushed
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. field — farmland
  12. root — of a plant
  13. row — a line
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. field — for sport
  16. ground — the earth
  17. root — the cause
  18. jam — in traffic
  19. jam — a tight spot
  20. trunk — of a tree
  21. root — of a word
  22. row — a quarrel
  23. trunk — of a car
  24. spell — magic

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