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. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  2. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. David sat on the ________________.
  19. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. net — after costs
  2. net — in sport
  3. bound — certain
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. swing — in golf
  8. bound — tied together
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. swing — music
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. net — for catching
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. tube — the underground
  16. tube — a container
  17. sharp — clever
  18. swing — to play on
  19. craft — a skill
  20. craft — boats
  21. bound — obliged
  22. craft — a handicraft
  23. rush — hurry
  24. sharp — exactly

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