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. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  2. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  10. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  17. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  18. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  19. When are we going to ________________?
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  22. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a dish
  2. net — after costs
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. ball — a dance
  5. bass — low music
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. bowl — to roll
  8. net — for catching
  9. rest — a break
  10. face — to confront
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. ball — a great time
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. bass — the fish
  15. net — in sport
  16. bowl — a football final
  17. face — part of the head
  18. land — ground
  19. land — to come down
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. land — a country
  22. rest — what's left
  23. face — to point toward
  24. rest — what's left

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