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: ground · net · spring · root · face · calf · arm · mark

  1. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  2. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. My father caught me by the ________________.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  11. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  18. There's no middle ________________.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. She had a strange look on her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — a part of something
  2. ground — the earth
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. net — in sport
  6. mark — a grade
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. root — of a word
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. spring — of water
  11. spring — a coil
  12. face — to point toward
  13. spring — the season
  14. root — the cause
  15. ground — crushed
  16. net — for catching
  17. root — of a plant
  18. ground — a position
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. mark — a trace
  21. net — after costs
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. face — to confront
  24. face — part of the head

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