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 120 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. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  5. When are we going to ________________?
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  8. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  24. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. saw — the tool
  3. net — after costs
  4. land — ground
  5. land — to come down
  6. mark — a grade
  7. bark — to shout
  8. land — a country
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. cap — a lid
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. mark — a trace
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. net — in sport
  20. cap — a hat
  21. cap — of ice
  22. saw — the tool
  23. bark — of a tree
  24. bark — a dog's sound

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