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 do you think of the new ________________?
  2. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  15. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  16. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. When are we going to ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. net — after costs
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. land — ground
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. net — for catching
  9. jam — to spread on bread
  10. season — in sport
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. jam — in traffic
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. row — to paddle
  15. row — a quarrel
  16. jam — a tight spot
  17. land — a country
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. row — a line
  21. net — in sport
  22. season — of the year
  23. leaves — lets stay
  24. land — to come down

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