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: root · racket · net · content · toast · firm · capital · saw

  1. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  2. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  6. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  9. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  10. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  11. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  14. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  24. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a word
  2. firm — a company
  3. firm — steady
  4. net — for catching
  5. capital — a big letter
  6. toast — bread
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. capital — a city
  9. content — the amount
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. content — happy
  12. saw — the tool
  13. capital — money
  14. toast — a drink to someone
  15. root — of a plant
  16. firm — decided
  17. net — after costs
  18. net — in sport
  19. content — videos and posts
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. root — the cause
  22. saw — the tool
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. toast — the most admired

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