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

Word bank: lash · root · mate · degree · land · bound · trunk · craft

  1. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  2. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. When are we going to ________________?
  8. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  19. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  20. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  21. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  24. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — boats
  2. craft — a skill
  3. mate — a friend
  4. root — the cause
  5. bound — obliged
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. land — to come down
  8. root — of a plant
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. land — ground
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. mate — a partner
  13. land — a country
  14. bound — tied together
  15. bound — certain
  16. degree — an amount
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. degree — temperature
  19. root — of a word
  20. degree — from a university
  21. trunk — of a tree
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. trunk — of a car
  24. mate — to breed

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