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. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  2. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  6. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  7. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  8. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  9. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  14. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  18. There's no middle ________________.
  19. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. 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 — the cause
  2. content — the amount
  3. ground — the earth
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. bark — of a tree
  6. bark — to shout
  7. content — happy
  8. root — of a word
  9. ground — crushed
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. wake — a trail
  13. bark — a dog's sound
  14. content — videos and posts
  15. craft — boats
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. staff — a stick
  18. ground — a position
  19. staff — employees
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. craft — a skill
  22. staff — employees
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. 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