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. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  19. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  20. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  21. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  22. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  23. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. root — of a word
  3. season — of the year
  4. spring — the season
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. craft — a skill
  8. craft — boats
  9. pitch — completely
  10. root — of a plant
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. season — in sport
  13. present — a gift
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. spring — of water
  19. root — the cause
  20. present — the time now
  21. pitch — a sports field
  22. spring — a coil
  23. present — there
  24. nail — for a hammer

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