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. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  2. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  21. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  22. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. I had a ________________ with my boss today.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a hole
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. net — in sport
  4. net — after costs
  5. net — for catching
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. row — to paddle
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. pit — in a race
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. fine — all right
  13. current — happening now
  14. ball — a great time
  15. row — a line
  16. fine — high quality
  17. current — of water
  18. current — electric
  19. rush — hurry
  20. staff — employees
  21. staff — a stick
  22. staff — employees
  23. ball — a dance
  24. row — a quarrel

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