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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: present · craft · bowl · root · wind · rash

  1. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  2. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  4. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  5. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  12. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  13. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  14. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  15. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  16. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  17. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  18. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

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

Answer key

  1. craft — boats
  2. rash — hasty
  3. bowl — a football final
  4. bowl — to roll
  5. rash — on the skin
  6. root — of a word
  7. craft — a skill
  8. bowl — a dish
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. root — the cause
  11. wind — moving air
  12. rash — a series
  13. wind — moving air
  14. present — there
  15. present — the time now
  16. wind — to turn a key
  17. root — of a plant
  18. present — a gift

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