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. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. He is an ace ________________.
  4. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  18. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  19. That was a fun ________________.
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  23. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  24. This looks like a gunshot ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a word
  2. craft — a skill
  3. pitcher — in baseball
  4. fork — a garden tool
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. game — wild animals
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. wound — an injury
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. fork — to eat with
  15. root — the cause
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. root — of a plant
  18. wound — past of 'wind'
  19. game — a match
  20. craft — boats
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. fork — in a road
  23. craft — a handicraft
  24. wound — an injury

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