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: firm · cap · drill · arm · root · wind · jam · net

  1. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  2. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  3. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  4. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  5. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  6. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  10. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  11. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  12. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  15. My father caught me by the ________________.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  21. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  22. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  23. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  24. We had a fire ________________ at school today.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — the tool
  2. wind — moving air
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. root — of a word
  5. cap — a lid
  6. wind — moving air
  7. cap — a hat
  8. cap — of ice
  9. wind — to turn a key
  10. jam — in traffic
  11. firm — steady
  12. firm — a company
  13. net — in sport
  14. arm — a part of something
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. net — after costs
  17. root — of a plant
  18. root — the cause
  19. net — for catching
  20. drill — army training
  21. firm — decided
  22. jam — a tight spot
  23. jam — to spread on bread
  24. drill — a practice

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