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. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  2. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  6. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  7. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  8. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  9. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  10. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  13. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  19. David sat on the ________________.
  20. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  21. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  22. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. He took the fish out of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to spend time
  2. net — after costs
  3. hand — in cards
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. hand — help
  6. wound — an injury
  7. swing — music
  8. drill — the tool
  9. swing — in golf
  10. hand — part of the body
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. pass — a permit
  13. wound — past of 'wind'
  14. season — of the year
  15. prune — to trim
  16. net — in sport
  17. season — in sport
  18. wound — an injury
  19. swing — to play on
  20. pass — to succeed
  21. drill — army training
  22. drill — a practice
  23. prune — to trim
  24. net — for catching

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