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. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  2. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. The ________________ market has crashed.
  17. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  24. What's the difference between broth and ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. net — after costs
  2. squash — the sport
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. charge — in control
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. charge — a price
  7. key — the most important part
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. prune — to trim
  10. squash — the vegetable
  11. stock — goods
  12. squash — to crush
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. key — in music
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. stock — shares
  17. prune — to trim
  18. key — for a lock
  19. charge — electricity
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. net — in sport
  23. net — for catching
  24. stock — a soup base

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