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. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  3. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  8. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  9. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  15. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  18. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  24. He took the fish out of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — boats
  2. root — the cause
  3. drill — army training
  4. drill — a practice
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. root — of a plant
  7. drill — the tool
  8. content — videos and posts
  9. hand — help
  10. net — after costs
  11. firm — a company
  12. bound — tied together
  13. bound — obliged
  14. hand — in cards
  15. hand — part of the body
  16. bound — certain
  17. content — the amount
  18. root — of a word
  19. net — in sport
  20. firm — decided
  21. craft — a skill
  22. firm — steady
  23. content — happy
  24. net — for catching

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