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. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  8. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  9. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  10. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  13. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  14. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. The ball is in your ________________.
  17. Where did you ________________ them?
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  22. We're on a ________________ here.
  23. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  24. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. pound — to hit hard
  3. tube — the underground
  4. mug — a cup
  5. net — after costs
  6. current — happening now
  7. court — of law
  8. roll — a list
  9. roll — a cake
  10. march — music
  11. net — in sport
  12. march — the month
  13. march — the month
  14. court — of a king
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. court — for sport
  17. mug — to rob
  18. current — electric
  19. tube — a container
  20. current — of water
  21. pound — a weight
  22. roll — on a roll
  23. mug — a face
  24. pound — for dogs

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