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 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. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  5. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  20. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. spell — letters
  4. wound — an injury
  5. pitch — completely
  6. net — for catching
  7. spell — a short time
  8. bear — the animal
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. wound — an injury
  12. net — after costs
  13. track — a song
  14. pound — for dogs
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. track — a path
  18. spell — magic
  19. pound — a weight
  20. pound — to hit hard
  21. track — to keep track
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. wound — past of 'wind'
  24. bear — the animal

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