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. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. My father caught me by the ________________.
  5. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  6. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  16. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. fine — high quality
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. arm — a part of something
  6. firm — steady
  7. prune — to trim
  8. mine — belonging to me
  9. mine — for digging
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. net — in sport
  12. net — for catching
  13. plane — a tool
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. firm — a company
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. firm — decided
  18. net — after costs
  19. drill — the tool
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. fine — all right
  22. drill — a practice
  23. prune — to trim
  24. drill — army training

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