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 116 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: kid · present · net · root · safe · tear · stand · shower

  1. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  4. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  5. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  13. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  14. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  17. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  20. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  23. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  24. He took the fish out of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. present — a gift
  3. root — the cause
  4. tear — from crying
  5. shower — rain
  6. root — of a word
  7. tear — from crying
  8. net — in sport
  9. present — there
  10. net — after costs
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. shower — to wash
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. tear — to rip
  17. root — of a plant
  18. stand — to bear
  19. kid — child
  20. kid — to tease
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. shower — a meteor shower
  24. net — for catching

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