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: prune · club · root · patient · season · bulb · foot · mate

  1. Did you ________________ the meat?
  2. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  3. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  6. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  7. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  12. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  24. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.

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

Answer key

  1. season — to add flavour
  2. club — for golf
  3. prune — to trim
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. root — of a plant
  6. prune — the fruit
  7. root — the cause
  8. season — in sport
  9. mate — a partner
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. club — a group
  12. foot — the bottom
  13. prune — to trim
  14. root — of a word
  15. season — of the year
  16. mate — to breed
  17. bulb — for light
  18. foot — part of the body
  19. bulb — for light
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. foot — a measure
  22. mate — a friend
  23. club — for dancing
  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