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. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  2. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  20. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  21. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  24. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?

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

Answer key

  1. net — after costs
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. net — for catching
  4. chip — for betting
  5. net — in sport
  6. degree — from a university
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. clip — to cut
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. chip — to eat
  12. clip — for paper
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. cue — a hint
  16. cue — a signal
  17. mate — a partner
  18. cue — for pool
  19. clip — a video
  20. mate — to breed
  21. degree — temperature
  22. mate — a friend
  23. chip — in a computer
  24. degree — an amount

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