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. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  12. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  19. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  20. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. net — after costs
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. net — for catching
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. bulb — for light
  8. dip — to sink
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. net — in sport
  11. clip — to cut
  12. mine — for digging
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. mine — belonging to me
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. bulb — for light
  18. clip — a video
  19. fork — in a road
  20. clip — for paper
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. fork — to eat with
  24. mouse — for a computer

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