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: shower · rash · patient · root · arm · track · swing · wake

  1. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  6. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  7. My father caught me by the ________________.
  8. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. David sat on the ________________.
  14. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  15. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  16. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  20. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  21. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  24. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — a series
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. track — a path
  5. swing — in golf
  6. shower — a meteor shower
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. root — the cause
  9. root — of a word
  10. track — a song
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. swing — to play on
  14. shower — to wash
  15. arm — a part of something
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. wake — a trail
  18. rash — hasty
  19. swing — music
  20. shower — rain
  21. patient — calm and waiting
  22. track — to keep track
  23. rash — on the skin
  24. root — of a plant

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