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 116 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. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  12. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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

Answer key

  1. net — after costs
  2. key — for a lock
  3. mine — for digging
  4. key — the most important part
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. deal — to handle
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. net — in sport
  10. rash — a series
  11. mine — belonging to me
  12. mine — an explosive
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. fine — high quality
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. fine — all right
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. key — in music
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. net — for catching
  22. rash — hasty
  23. tube — the underground
  24. tube — a container

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