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: nail · race · root · field · wax · ground · press · toast

  1. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  2. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  8. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  9. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  13. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  14. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  15. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  16. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  17. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  18. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  19. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  22. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  24. Did you ________________ the button?

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

Answer key

  1. ground — crushed
  2. ground — the earth
  3. race — the arms race
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. ground — a position
  7. toast — the most admired
  8. field — a subject
  9. toast — a drink to someone
  10. press — a publisher
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. root — the cause
  13. race — humankind
  14. field — for sport
  15. race — a contest
  16. root — of a word
  17. press — newspapers
  18. toast — bread
  19. root — of a plant
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. field — farmland
  23. wax — to grow
  24. press — to push

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