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. That was a fun ________________.
  2. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  6. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  7. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  8. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  9. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  20. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  21. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  24. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a match
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. net — after costs
  4. bear — the animal
  5. spring — of water
  6. file — a document
  7. game — a kind of play
  8. spring — a coil
  9. file — a line of people
  10. branch — a division
  11. game — wild animals
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. file — a tool
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. bear — the animal
  16. net — for catching
  17. spring — the season
  18. net — in sport
  19. pitch — completely
  20. safe — a strongbox
  21. pitch — a sales talk
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. branch — of a tree

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