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: patient · field · bulb · wake · root · board · swing · stick

  1. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  2. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. David sat on the ________________.
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  13. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  16. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  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 — a subject
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. swing — to play on
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. swing — music
  6. bulb — for light
  7. root — of a plant
  8. bulb — for light
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. wake — a trail
  11. board — a committee
  12. field — for sport
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. field — farmland
  16. swing — in golf
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. board — to get on
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. root — the cause
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  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