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 120 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. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  5. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  13. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  14. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  20. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  21. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  24. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. rule — a law
  3. fine — high quality
  4. wind — moving air
  5. vault — an arched ceiling
  6. vault — a safe
  7. rule — to rule out
  8. net — in sport
  9. net — after costs
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. fine — all right
  12. march — the month
  13. march — the month
  14. wind — to turn a key
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. wind — moving air
  20. rule — government
  21. racket — a loud noise
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. march — music
  24. racket — for tennis

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