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. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  2. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  8. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  11. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  12. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  13. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  18. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  19. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  20. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  23. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  24. The water is too ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — for baseball
  2. fall — the season
  3. net — after costs
  4. kick — with a leg
  5. net — in sport
  6. bass — the fish
  7. drill — a practice
  8. bat — in an idiom
  9. net — for catching
  10. cold — the Cold War
  11. drill — the tool
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. drill — army training
  14. bass — low music
  15. fall — to drop
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. fall — to drop
  18. kick — in football
  19. kick — a thrill
  20. cold — an illness
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. bat — the animal
  23. safe — a strongbox
  24. cold — not warm

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