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: root · rush · ruler · bass · kid · field · ball · arm

  1. The King held a masked ________________.
  2. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  9. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  12. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  13. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  14. My father caught me by the ________________.
  15. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  16. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  17. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  19. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. bass — the fish
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. kid — to tease
  5. root — the cause
  6. field — farmland
  7. ball — a great time
  8. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  9. field — a subject
  10. rush — hurry
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. root — of a plant
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. field — for sport
  16. kid — child
  17. ruler — a monarch
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. arm — a part of something
  20. bass — low music
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. root — of a word
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. rush — a thrill

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