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. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  11. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  16. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  20. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  24. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. pitch — completely
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. straw — a straw man
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. staff — a stick
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. net — after costs
  10. clip — to cut
  11. clip — a video
  12. fine — all right
  13. straw — to clutch at straws
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. clip — for paper
  16. straw — dry grass
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. staff — employees
  20. net — for catching
  21. fine — high quality
  22. sharp — clever
  23. net — in sport
  24. staff — employees

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