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: foot · cell · press · root · field · land · bowl · mark

  1. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  2. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  3. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  4. He was locked up in a ________________.
  5. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  8. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  9. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  10. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  13. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  14. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  15. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  18. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  19. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  22. When are we going to ________________?
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.

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

Answer key

  1. field — a subject
  2. press — a publisher
  3. field — for sport
  4. cell — in a prison
  5. bowl — a dish
  6. press — to push
  7. cell — in biology
  8. foot — a measure
  9. field — farmland
  10. foot — the bottom
  11. mark — a trace
  12. root — the cause
  13. land — a country
  14. bowl — to roll
  15. root — of a word
  16. mark — a grade
  17. cell — a phone
  18. foot — part of the body
  19. land — ground
  20. root — of a plant
  21. press — newspapers
  22. land — to come down
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. bowl — a football final

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