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: tear · track · stem · dip · coach · mug · root · bound

  1. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  2. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  10. Where did you ________________ them?
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — a sauce
  2. mug — a face
  3. mug — a cup
  4. bound — certain
  5. root — of a word
  6. tear — from crying
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. tear — to rip
  10. mug — to rob
  11. root — the cause
  12. stem — to come from
  13. track — a song
  14. tear — from crying
  15. bound — obliged
  16. track — to keep track
  17. track — a path
  18. root — of a plant
  19. stem — a stem cell
  20. bound — tied together
  21. dip — to sink
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. stem — of a plant

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