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. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  2. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  3. There's no middle ________________.
  4. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  21. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. net — after costs
  2. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  3. ground — a position
  4. ground — the earth
  5. bass — the fish
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. net — in sport
  9. kid — to tease
  10. net — for catching
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. sharp — clever
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. bear — the animal
  17. bass — low music
  18. ball — a dance
  19. ball — a great time
  20. ground — crushed
  21. kid — child
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. bear — the animal
  24. ball — a round shape

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