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: root · arm · degree · lean · face · deal · mug · field

  1. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  2. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  4. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  5. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  11. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. Where did you ________________ them?
  17. My father caught me by the ________________.
  18. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  21. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  24. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.

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

Answer key

  1. root — the cause
  2. deal — to handle
  3. field — for sport
  4. degree — an amount
  5. face — to confront
  6. face — to point toward
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. degree — from a university
  9. mug — a face
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. root — of a plant
  12. lean — thin
  13. root — of a word
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. lean — to bend
  16. mug — to rob
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. field — farmland
  19. face — part of the head
  20. arm — a part of something
  21. degree — temperature
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. mug — a cup
  24. field — a subject

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