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: shower · net · root · mark · sharp · temple · mine · wind

  1. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  2. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  5. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  6. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  12. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  20. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  21. When was this ________________ built?
  22. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  23. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  24. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.

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

Answer key

  1. root — of a plant
  2. sharp — clever
  3. net — in sport
  4. temple — side of the head
  5. shower — a meteor shower
  6. mine — belonging to me
  7. root — of a word
  8. net — for catching
  9. shower — rain
  10. root — the cause
  11. mine — an explosive
  12. mine — for digging
  13. mark — a grade
  14. net — after costs
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. mark — a trace
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. wind — moving air
  20. shower — to wash
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. wind — to turn a key
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. wind — moving air

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