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 116 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 · staff · bat · game · field · coach · mate · squash

  1. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  2. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  3. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  4. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  5. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  6. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  23. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  24. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — in an idiom
  2. field — farmland
  3. bat — for baseball
  4. field — a subject
  5. staff — a stick
  6. field — for sport
  7. mate — a partner
  8. squash — to crush
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. root — the cause
  11. bat — the animal
  12. squash — the sport
  13. root — of a word
  14. staff — employees
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. staff — employees
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. mate — a friend
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. mate — to breed
  21. root — of a plant
  22. game — wild animals
  23. game — a kind of play
  24. game — a match

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