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. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  4. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  7. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  10. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  11. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  17. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  18. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  19. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  20. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  21. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  22. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  24. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. net — for catching
  3. chest — of your body
  4. march — the month
  5. net — after costs
  6. march — music
  7. chest — a box
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. march — the month
  10. hand — help
  11. toast — the most admired
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. deal — to handle
  14. toast — a drink to someone
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. object — a thing
  17. toast — bread
  18. plane — a tool
  19. hand — part of the body
  20. hand — in cards
  21. object — to protest
  22. object — an aim
  23. deal — a big deal
  24. chest — of your body

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