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: saw · ball · wound · field · rash · pass · court · root

  1. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  4. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  5. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. The ball is in your ________________.
  13. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  14. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  20. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  24. This looks like a gunshot ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. ball — a dance
  3. field — for sport
  4. root — of a word
  5. field — a subject
  6. root — of a plant
  7. pass — a permit
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. wound — an injury
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. saw — the tool
  12. court — for sport
  13. court — of law
  14. court — of a king
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. ball — a great time
  17. rash — a series
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. field — farmland
  20. pass — to succeed
  21. root — the cause
  22. rash — hasty
  23. wound — past of 'wind'
  24. wound — an injury

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