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. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  10. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  24. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. degree — an amount
  4. bank — for money
  5. pitch — completely
  6. stock — goods
  7. net — for catching
  8. fine — all right
  9. bank — for money
  10. degree — from a university
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. fine — high quality
  13. stock — shares
  14. net — in sport
  15. rest — what's left
  16. rest — a break
  17. pitch — a sports field
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. rest — what's left
  20. net — after costs
  21. degree — temperature
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. perch — the fish
  24. bank — of a river

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