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. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  2. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  6. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  16. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  17. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  20. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  21. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  24. We're on a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. net — for catching
  4. net — after costs
  5. bowl — a dish
  6. pound — a weight
  7. prune — to trim
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. rash — hasty
  11. rash — a series
  12. prune — to trim
  13. bowl — to roll
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. row — a quarrel
  16. row — a line
  17. pound — for dogs
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. roll — a cake
  20. wake — a trail
  21. roll — a list
  22. net — in sport
  23. pound — to hit hard
  24. roll — on a roll

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