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: field · root · ball · shower · fan · key · board · nail

  1. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  13. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  22. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. key — for a lock
  5. root — of a word
  6. ball — a great time
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. root — the cause
  10. field — a subject
  11. key — the most important part
  12. field — farmland
  13. shower — a meteor shower
  14. board — a committee
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. key — in music
  17. field — for sport
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. shower — to wash
  22. shower — rain
  23. root — of a plant
  24. ball — a dance

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