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. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  2. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  4. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  5. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  14. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  15. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to bend
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. root — the cause
  4. land — a country
  5. content — happy
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. craft — a skill
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. lean — thin
  10. root — of a word
  11. wound — an injury
  12. land — to come down
  13. content — the amount
  14. root — of a plant
  15. land — ground
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. content — videos and posts
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. wound — past of 'wind'
  20. craft — boats
  21. dip — a sauce
  22. dip — to sink
  23. wound — an injury
  24. lean — to rest against

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