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. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  2. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  4. He is an ace ________________.
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  21. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  22. When are we going to ________________?
  23. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  24. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a word
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. land — ground
  4. pitcher — in baseball
  5. craft — a skill
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. can — a tin
  9. pass — a permit
  10. ball — a dance
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. can — a tin
  13. ball — a great time
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. root — of a plant
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. mine — belonging to me
  19. can — to be able to
  20. root — the cause
  21. land — a country
  22. land — to come down
  23. mine — for digging
  24. craft — boats

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