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. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. My father caught me by the ________________.
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. He is an ace ________________.
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  24. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. mate — a friend
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. net — after costs
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. mark — a trace
  7. bulb — for light
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. rash — hasty
  10. mark — a grade
  11. pitcher — in baseball
  12. net — in sport
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. bulb — for light
  15. mate — a partner
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. arm — a part of something
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. rash — a series
  21. net — for catching
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. racket — a loud noise

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