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: date · content · net · root · deal · cabinet · straw · ground

  1. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  2. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  9. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  10. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. Have you settled on a ________________?
  18. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  21. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  22. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  24. There's no middle ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. content — happy
  2. deal — to handle
  3. net — in sport
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. root — the cause
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. date — the fruit
  9. content — the amount
  10. ground — crushed
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. root — of a word
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. ground — the earth
  15. net — for catching
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. straw — dry grass
  19. net — after costs
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. straw — to clutch at straws
  22. content — videos and posts
  23. root — of a plant
  24. ground — a position

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