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 120 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. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  2. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  7. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. The ________________ market has crashed.
  17. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — boats
  2. root — of a word
  3. firm — steady
  4. firm — a company
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. craft — a skill
  7. bat — in an idiom
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. root — the cause
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. firm — decided
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. root — of a plant
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. stock — shares
  17. bat — the animal
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. bat — for baseball
  20. wax — to grow
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. stock — goods
  24. wax — for sculpting

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