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. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  5. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  19. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  20. My father caught me by the ________________.
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. lean — thin
  3. net — for catching
  4. drill — the tool
  5. racket — a loud noise
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. arm — a part of something
  10. net — after costs
  11. track — to keep track
  12. track — a path
  13. track — a song
  14. ball — a dance
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. drill — army training
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. drill — a practice
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. ball — a great time
  24. lean — to bend

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