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. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. tube — the underground
  4. net — after costs
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. bank — for money
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. rush — hurry
  9. craft — boats
  10. bank — for money
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. scale — in music
  13. scale — size or range
  14. season — in sport
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. net — for catching
  18. season — of the year
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. craft — a handicraft
  21. tube — a container
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. bank — of a river
  24. craft — a skill

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