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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. net — for catching
  3. season — in sport
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. tube — the underground
  7. season — of the year
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. net — after costs
  10. net — in sport
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. tear — to rip
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. tube — a container
  16. tear — from crying
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. tear — from crying

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