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: present · game · stem · bore · wave · root · chest · ground

  1. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  18. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  19. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  20. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  23. That was a fun ________________.
  24. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. ground — crushed
  4. root — of a plant
  5. ground — a position
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. bore — to tire
  8. stem — to come from
  9. present — a gift
  10. present — the time now
  11. root — of a word
  12. stem — a stem cell
  13. game — wild animals
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. bore — to drill
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. chest — of your body
  18. chest — of your body
  19. chest — a box
  20. stem — of a plant
  21. root — the cause
  22. bore — gave birth
  23. game — a match
  24. present — there

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