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: track · degree · jam · stem · drill · root · bowl · mouse

  1. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  2. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  3. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  4. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  8. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  21. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  22. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. Tom got himself in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — to come from
  2. jam — to spread on bread
  3. degree — an amount
  4. bowl — to roll
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. track — to keep track
  7. drill — the tool
  8. stem — a stem cell
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. root — the cause
  12. root — of a word
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. drill — a practice
  15. root — of a plant
  16. jam — in traffic
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. degree — from a university
  19. track — a path
  20. drill — army training
  21. bowl — a dish
  22. degree — temperature
  23. track — a song
  24. jam — a tight spot

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