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 had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. The water is too ________________.
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  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. net — after costs
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. ball — a great time
  4. bulb — for light
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. cold — the Cold War
  8. net — for catching
  9. cold — an illness
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. wake — a trail
  12. perch — the fish
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. cold — not warm
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. ball — a dance
  17. bulb — for light
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. mark — a trace
  20. mark — a grade
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. wake — before a funeral
  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