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: bank · date · root · chest · cap · field · wax · dip

  1. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  2. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  5. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  8. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. Have you settled on a ________________?
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  18. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  23. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  24. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. field — farmland
  2. dip — to sink
  3. bank — of a river
  4. field — a subject
  5. field — for sport
  6. root — the cause
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. chest — of your body
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. cap — of ice
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. bank — for money
  15. cap — a lid
  16. bank — for money
  17. date — the fruit
  18. chest — a box
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. wax — to grow
  21. cap — a hat
  22. root — of a plant
  23. chest — of your body
  24. root — of a word

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