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: racket · field · bulb · coach · row · rash · temple · root

  1. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. When was this ________________ built?
  3. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  4. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  9. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  12. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  19. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  20. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. field — a subject
  4. root — of a plant
  5. root — the cause
  6. row — a quarrel
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. row — a line
  10. bulb — for light
  11. row — to paddle
  12. root — of a word
  13. bulb — for light
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. rash — a series
  18. rash — on the skin
  19. field — for sport
  20. field — farmland
  21. rash — hasty
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. temple — side of the head

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