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 · coach · sharp · mark · nail · stem · track · pass

  1. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  18. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  19. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. track — a path
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. track — a song
  8. pass — a permit
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. track — to keep track
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. root — of a plant
  16. mark — a trace
  17. root — the cause
  18. root — of a word
  19. stem — to come from
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. pass — to succeed
  22. mark — a grade
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. sharp — clever

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