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: root · squash · season · snap · bat · rest · field · track

  1. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  2. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  10. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  13. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  14. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  23. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

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

Answer key

  1. bat — the animal
  2. rest — what's left
  3. field — for sport
  4. rest — what's left
  5. root — of a plant
  6. season — in sport
  7. track — a path
  8. track — to keep track
  9. field — a subject
  10. bat — in an idiom
  11. squash — to crush
  12. bat — for baseball
  13. snap — to snap out of it
  14. snap — to click
  15. squash — the sport
  16. snap — to speak sharply
  17. rest — a break
  18. track — a song
  19. root — of a word
  20. season — of the year
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. field — farmland
  23. root — the cause
  24. season — to add flavour

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