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: pit · root · jam · stock · spring · chair · field · wake

  1. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  2. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  5. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  10. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  16. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  17. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  20. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  24. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a plant
  2. field — for sport
  3. pit — in a race
  4. root — of a word
  5. chair — to sit on
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. stock — goods
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. spring — of water
  10. field — farmland
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. chair — a leader
  13. wake — a trail
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. jam — in traffic
  16. jam — a tight spot
  17. jam — to spread on bread
  18. stock — shares
  19. spring — the season
  20. chair — a professorship
  21. root — the cause
  22. pit — a hole
  23. field — a subject
  24. spring — a coil

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