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. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  3. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  14. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  15. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  16. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  17. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  18. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  21. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  22. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  23. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  24. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. net — after costs
  3. content — the amount
  4. current — happening now
  5. kid — child
  6. net — in sport
  7. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. current — electric
  10. prune — to trim
  11. current — of water
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. content — happy
  14. toast — a drink to someone
  15. content — videos and posts
  16. fall — to drop
  17. prune — the fruit
  18. prune — to trim
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. fall — the season
  21. fall — to drop
  22. toast — bread
  23. kid — to tease
  24. toast — the most admired

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