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 muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  4. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  7. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  18. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  19. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  20. My father caught me by the ________________.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  23. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  24. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a path
  2. net — for catching
  3. club — for dancing
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. spell — magic
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. fork — to eat with
  8. club — a group
  9. prune — to trim
  10. net — after costs
  11. net — in sport
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. track — to keep track
  15. track — a song
  16. prune — to trim
  17. club — for golf
  18. fork — in a road
  19. racket — a loud noise
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. spell — letters
  22. spell — a short time
  23. arm — a part of something
  24. fork — a garden tool

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