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 116 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 · hand · rest · rush · rash · mark · fork · field

  1. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. That must've been a ________________.
  3. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  4. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  17. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  18. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  21. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. hand — help
  4. field — for sport
  5. rash — hasty
  6. mark — a grade
  7. root — of a word
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. rest — what's left
  10. field — a subject
  11. root — the cause
  12. fork — in a road
  13. root — of a plant
  14. rest — what's left
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. hand — in cards
  17. fork — a garden tool
  18. rash — a series
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. hand — part of the body
  21. rest — a break
  22. mark — a trace
  23. field — farmland
  24. rush — hurry

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