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 120 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 ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. We're almost out of ________________.
  7. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  13. He was locked up in a ________________.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. You don't need to ________________ round.
  21. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  22. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  23. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  24. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. net — after costs
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. cell — in biology
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. pop — soda
  7. land — ground
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. land — to come down
  12. cell — a phone
  13. cell — in a prison
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. net — for catching
  16. squash — the vegetable
  17. rush — hurry
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. pop — to visit
  21. land — a country
  22. pop — music
  23. squash — the sport
  24. squash — to crush

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