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: pop · root · bass · race · season · cabinet · field · bore

  1. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  2. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. You don't need to ________________ round.
  5. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. We're almost out of ________________.
  8. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  21. Did you ________________ the meat?
  22. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a word
  2. field — a subject
  3. bass — low music
  4. pop — to visit
  5. field — farmland
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. pop — soda
  8. root — of a plant
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. bore — to drill
  11. race — humankind
  12. season — in sport
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. season — of the year
  16. bass — the fish
  17. race — the arms race
  18. pop — music
  19. bore — to tire
  20. root — the cause
  21. season — to add flavour
  22. field — for sport
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. race — a contest

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