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: mine · content · degree · firm · lash · safe · staff · root

  1. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  2. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  5. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  10. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  11. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  12. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  15. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  20. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  21. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  22. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  23. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  24. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — an amount
  2. content — happy
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. root — of a word
  5. firm — steady
  6. root — the cause
  7. staff — a stick
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. safe — a strongbox
  10. content — videos and posts
  11. firm — decided
  12. root — of a plant
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. degree — from a university
  15. staff — employees
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. mine — for digging
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. content — the amount
  20. staff — employees
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. firm — a company
  23. mine — an explosive
  24. degree — temperature

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