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 · squash · bear · file · pass · root · land · suit

  1. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  2. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  12. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  13. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  17. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  24. When are we going to ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. field — a subject
  2. root — of a word
  3. suit — in cards
  4. suit — to fit
  5. bear — the animal
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. land — ground
  8. suit — clothes
  9. file — a tool
  10. root — of a plant
  11. field — farmland
  12. field — for sport
  13. land — a country
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. squash — to crush
  16. squash — the vegetable
  17. root — the cause
  18. bear — the animal
  19. file — a line of people
  20. pass — a permit
  21. file — a document
  22. squash — the sport
  23. pass — to succeed
  24. land — to come down

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