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 · chest · rock · stem · bank · season · racket · jam

  1. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  2. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  8. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  13. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  14. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  24. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a word
  2. bank — of a river
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. stem — to come from
  5. chest — of your body
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. jam — to spread on bread
  8. jam — a tight spot
  9. rock — a stone
  10. rock — music
  11. season — of the year
  12. chest — of your body
  13. racket — a loud noise
  14. chest — a box
  15. bank — for money
  16. bank — for money
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. root — the cause
  19. root — of a plant
  20. season — in sport
  21. jam — in traffic
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. season — to add flavour
  24. stem — a stem cell

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