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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  2. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. We're on a ________________ here.
  8. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  11. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  12. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  16. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  17. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a word
  2. net — after costs
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. net — for catching
  5. root — the cause
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. roll — on a roll
  8. roll — a list
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. hand — help
  11. scale — in music
  12. hand — part of the body
  13. scale — size or range
  14. net — in sport
  15. scale — for weighing
  16. hand — in cards
  17. roll — a cake
  18. root — of a plant

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