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. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  2. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  23. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  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. object — an aim
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. ball — a dance
  5. object — to protest
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. net — after costs
  8. net — for catching
  9. plane — a tool
  10. rash — a series
  11. march — the month
  12. ball — a great time
  13. stock — shares
  14. net — in sport
  15. rash — hasty
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. stock — goods
  18. march — music
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. object — a thing
  23. march — the month
  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