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 120 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 · bound · object · face · band · root · season · net

  1. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  2. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  5. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  6. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  19. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. root — the cause
  2. season — in sport
  3. root — of a word
  4. band — a music group
  5. object — to protest
  6. band — a rubber band
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. root — of a plant
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. bound — certain
  11. net — after costs
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. bound — obliged
  14. face — part of the head
  15. net — for catching
  16. face — to confront
  17. object — a thing
  18. face — to point toward
  19. object — an aim
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. net — in sport
  22. bound — tied together
  23. band — a ring
  24. season — of the year

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