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. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  2. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. We're on a ________________ here.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  8. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  20. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  21. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  24. David sat on the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a dish
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. roll — on a roll
  5. net — after costs
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. clip — to cut
  8. swing — music
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. fine — high quality
  11. net — for catching
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. clip — a video
  16. deal — to handle
  17. swing — in golf
  18. fine — all right
  19. roll — a cake
  20. roll — a list
  21. clip — for paper
  22. net — in sport
  23. bay — to keep at bay
  24. swing — to play on

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