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 · field · board · kick · rule · cue · leaves · spring

  1. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  3. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  4. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  5. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  6. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  7. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  13. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  14. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  17. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  23. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  24. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. spring — the season
  3. field — farmland
  4. kick — a thrill
  5. rule — government
  6. spring — of water
  7. field — a subject
  8. board — to get on
  9. spring — a coil
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. rule — to rule out
  13. kick — with a leg
  14. root — of a word
  15. cue — for pool
  16. field — for sport
  17. root — of a plant
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. cue — a signal
  21. board — a committee
  22. rule — a law
  23. kick — in football
  24. root — the cause

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