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: net · object · firm · land · root · rush · spell · season

  1. When are we going to ________________?
  2. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  3. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. land — to come down
  2. land — ground
  3. firm — a company
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. object — a thing
  7. firm — steady
  8. object — to protest
  9. rush — hurry
  10. net — after costs
  11. land — a country
  12. net — for catching
  13. firm — decided
  14. spell — a short time
  15. net — in sport
  16. spell — letters
  17. root — of a word
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. season — in sport
  20. root — of a plant
  21. object — an aim
  22. spell — magic
  23. root — the cause
  24. season — of the year

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