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. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  2. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  22. The ball is in your ________________.
  23. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. net — after costs
  2. track — to keep track
  3. key — the most important part
  4. wind — moving air
  5. season — in sport
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. net — for catching
  8. key — in music
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. track — a song
  11. season — of the year
  12. mark — a grade
  13. wind — to turn a key
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. track — a path
  16. net — in sport
  17. key — for a lock
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. court — of law
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. court — of a king
  22. court — for sport
  23. wind — moving air
  24. mark — a trace

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