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. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  12. He was locked up in a ________________.
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. net — for catching
  3. cell — in biology
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. sharp — clever
  6. mate — to breed
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. tube — the underground
  9. dip — to sink
  10. mark — a grade
  11. cell — a phone
  12. cell — in a prison
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. mate — a friend
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. net — after costs
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. mate — a partner
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. dip — to dunk
  21. mark — a trace
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. tube — a container
  24. net — in sport

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