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: pit · root · patient · hide · field · plane · face · snap

  1. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  2. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  9. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  19. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  20. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  21. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  22. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  23. The ________________ took off on time.
  24. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to speak sharply
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. pit — a hole
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. root — of a plant
  6. root — of a word
  7. face — to confront
  8. pit — in a race
  9. field — for sport
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. field — farmland
  13. face — to point toward
  14. root — the cause
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. plane — a tool
  18. hide — animal skin
  19. field — a subject
  20. snap — to click
  21. snap — to snap out of it
  22. face — part of the head
  23. plane — an aircraft
  24. patient — a sick person

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