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 116 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. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  2. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  23. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. current — of water
  5. stock — goods
  6. stock — shares
  7. net — after costs
  8. bore — to tire
  9. net — for catching
  10. mate — a friend
  11. craft — boats
  12. bore — to drill
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. root — of a word
  15. root — of a plant
  16. mate — a partner
  17. mate — to breed
  18. craft — a skill
  19. current — happening now
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. net — in sport
  22. bore — gave birth
  23. root — the cause
  24. current — electric

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