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. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  20. Have you settled on a ________________?
  21. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  22. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  23. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  24. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. tube — the underground
  3. ruler — a monarch
  4. season — of the year
  5. net — after costs
  6. date — the fruit
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. season — in sport
  9. chest — of your body
  10. tube — a container
  11. chair — a professorship
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. net — in sport
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. chest — of your body
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. chair — to sit on
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. chest — a box
  24. chair — a leader

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