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: content · rock · net · root · plane · shower · pitcher · kid

  1. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  9. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  10. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  15. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  21. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  24. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. content — videos and posts
  3. content — the amount
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. rock — music
  6. shower — rain
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. plane — a tool
  9. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  10. kid — to tease
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. shower — a meteor shower
  13. rock — a stone
  14. root — of a plant
  15. content — happy
  16. net — in sport
  17. kid — child
  18. root — the cause
  19. net — after costs
  20. shower — to wash
  21. net — for catching
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  24. root — of a word

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