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. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  2. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. David sat on the ________________.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  14. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  18. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  21. There's no middle ________________.
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. rash — hasty
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. net — for catching
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. net — after costs
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. swing — to play on
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. ground — crushed
  14. swing — in golf
  15. rash — a series
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. swing — music
  18. row — a quarrel
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. row — to paddle
  21. ground — a position
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. row — a line
  24. net — in sport

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