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. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  2. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  3. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  10. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  11. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  12. He was locked up in a ________________.
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  21. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  22. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  23. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  24. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.

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

Answer key

  1. net — after costs
  2. pound — for dogs
  3. race — the arms race
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. tube — the underground
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. tube — a container
  8. net — in sport
  9. race — a contest
  10. race — humankind
  11. cell — in biology
  12. cell — in a prison
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. cell — a phone
  17. branch — a division
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. net — for catching
  21. safe — a strongbox
  22. pound — a weight
  23. pound — to hit hard
  24. branch — of a tree

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