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. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. When was this ________________ built?
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  9. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  13. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  21. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  24. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.

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

Answer key

  1. net — after costs
  2. prune — to trim
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. net — for catching
  8. object — to protest
  9. wound — an injury
  10. prune — to trim
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. wound — past of 'wind'
  13. object — a thing
  14. cue — a signal
  15. cue — for pool
  16. cue — a hint
  17. bound — certain
  18. net — in sport
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. wound — an injury
  21. object — an aim
  22. bound — obliged
  23. temple — side of the head
  24. bound — tied together

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