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 120 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: craft · shower · net · branch · rash · root · bear · pit

  1. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  19. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — a series
  2. craft — boats
  3. rash — hasty
  4. bear — the animal
  5. branch — a division
  6. net — after costs
  7. craft — a handicraft
  8. bear — the animal
  9. root — the cause
  10. rash — on the skin
  11. net — for catching
  12. shower — rain
  13. pit — a hole
  14. pit — in a race
  15. root — of a word
  16. craft — a skill
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. shower — a meteor shower
  19. shower — to wash
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. net — in sport
  22. root — of a plant
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. branch — of a tree

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