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 120 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: face · mark · net · root · saw · cell · prune · game

  1. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  8. He was locked up in a ________________.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  19. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  23. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  24. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. root — the cause
  2. mark — a grade
  3. face — to confront
  4. face — to point toward
  5. saw — the tool
  6. saw — the tool
  7. cell — in biology
  8. cell — in a prison
  9. mark — a trace
  10. prune — to trim
  11. prune — to trim
  12. game — wild animals
  13. net — in sport
  14. net — after costs
  15. net — for catching
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. game — a match
  18. game — a kind of play
  19. root — of a plant
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. face — part of the head
  23. cell — a phone
  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