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 · root · firm · mate · net · arm · bore · last

  1. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  2. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  10. False peace will not ________________.
  11. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  12. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  20. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. My father caught me by the ________________.
  23. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  24. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — a part of something
  2. mate — to breed
  3. last — final
  4. bore — to drill
  5. content — happy
  6. root — of a plant
  7. mate — a friend
  8. net — after costs
  9. content — the amount
  10. last — to go on
  11. firm — decided
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. bore — to tire
  14. net — for catching
  15. firm — steady
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. content — videos and posts
  18. root — the cause
  19. last — finally
  20. net — in sport
  21. mate — a partner
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. root — of a word
  24. firm — a company

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