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. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. Have you settled on a ________________?
  4. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  21. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  22. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  23. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  24. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.

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

Answer key

  1. net — after costs
  2. ball — a great time
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. plane — a tool
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. wake — a trail
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. bark — of a tree
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. net — in sport
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. net — for catching
  19. ball — a dance
  20. date — the fruit
  21. bark — to shout
  22. bark — a dog's sound
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. perch — the fish

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