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. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  2. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  9. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  10. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  15. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  16. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  17. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  18. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  21. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  22. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  23. He works in a ________________ mill.
  24. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — steady
  2. rest — what's left
  3. net — for catching
  4. firm — a company
  5. net — after costs
  6. net — in sport
  7. rest — what's left
  8. capital — money
  9. rest — a break
  10. tear — from crying
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. capital — a city
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. firm — decided
  15. trunk — of an elephant
  16. club — for golf
  17. capital — a big letter
  18. tear — to rip
  19. saw — the tool
  20. club — a group
  21. trunk — of a tree
  22. tear — from crying
  23. saw — the tool
  24. club — for dancing

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