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: field · tube · bowl · bat · squash · stem · root · fine

  1. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  2. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  12. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  13. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  14. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  22. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — in an idiom
  2. stem — a stem cell
  3. squash — to crush
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. bowl — a dish
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. root — of a word
  8. fine — all right
  9. root — the cause
  10. squash — the sport
  11. bat — for baseball
  12. field — a subject
  13. field — farmland
  14. bat — the animal
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. root — of a plant
  17. stem — to come from
  18. bowl — a football final
  19. tube — the underground
  20. tube — a container
  21. field — for sport
  22. fine — high quality
  23. squash — the vegetable
  24. fine — a penalty

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