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. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. The ball is in your ________________.
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  21. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  22. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  23. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. spell — magic
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. fine — high quality
  5. perch — the fish
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. court — of law
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. mark — a trace
  10. net — for catching
  11. pass — a permit
  12. mark — a grade
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. court — for sport
  15. net — in sport
  16. spell — letters
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. mate — a friend
  19. mate — a partner
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. mate — to breed
  22. court — of a king
  23. fine — all right
  24. net — after costs

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