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. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  3. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  8. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  9. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  13. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. net — after costs
  3. capital — a big letter
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. fine — all right
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. capital — a city
  8. drill — army training
  9. drill — the tool
  10. rock — music
  11. fine — high quality
  12. drill — a practice
  13. capital — money
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. net — for catching
  17. rock — a stone
  18. patient — a sick person

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