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 120 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. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  2. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  3. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  13. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  14. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  17. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. David sat on the ________________.
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. There's no middle ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. net — after costs
  2. shower — rain
  3. shower — to wash
  4. present — the time now
  5. ground — the earth
  6. track — a path
  7. swing — in golf
  8. net — for catching
  9. track — a song
  10. club — for dancing
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. present — a gift
  13. ground — crushed
  14. shower — a meteor shower
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. swing — music
  17. club — for golf
  18. club — a group
  19. net — in sport
  20. present — there
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. swing — to play on
  23. track — to keep track
  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