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. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  5. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  6. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  9. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  12. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  13. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.

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

Answer key

  1. net — after costs
  2. jam — a tight spot
  3. bulb — for light
  4. jam — to spread on bread
  5. pitch — a sports field
  6. kid — child
  7. pitch — completely
  8. straw — dry grass
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. bear — the animal
  11. straw — a straw man
  12. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  13. jam — in traffic
  14. net — for catching
  15. net — in sport
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. pitch — a sales talk
  19. bulb — for light
  20. bear — the animal
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. kid — to tease

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