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. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  6. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  13. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  21. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. net — after costs
  2. pound — a weight
  3. net — for catching
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. pound — to hit hard
  6. pound — for dogs
  7. charge — in control
  8. scale — size or range
  9. scale — in music
  10. net — in sport
  11. charge — a price
  12. hand — in cards
  13. race — humankind
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. race — a contest
  16. hand — help
  17. charge — electricity
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. scale — for weighing
  21. race — the arms race
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. bear — the animal
  24. bear — the animal

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