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. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  8. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  22. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  23. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  24. I've got the luggage in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. trunk — of an elephant
  3. net — for catching
  4. present — a gift
  5. net — after costs
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. object — an aim
  8. field — farmland
  9. present — the time now
  10. present — there
  11. club — for golf
  12. bound — certain
  13. field — for sport
  14. bound — obliged
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. bound — tied together
  18. object — a thing
  19. field — a subject
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. club — a group
  22. club — for dancing
  23. object — to protest
  24. trunk — of a car

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