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: bulb · net · cabinet · bear · root · hand · stand · lean

  1. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  2. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  16. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  20. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

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

Answer key

  1. net — after costs
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. bulb — for light
  4. stand — to bear
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. root — of a plant
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. bear — the animal
  9. bulb — for light
  10. hand — part of the body
  11. net — for catching
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. bear — the animal
  14. lean — to bend
  15. root — of a word
  16. hand — in cards
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. hand — help
  20. root — the cause
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. net — in sport
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. lean — thin

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