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 120 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. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  8. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  11. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  15. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  16. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  17. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  18. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  19. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  20. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  23. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  24. This looks like a gunshot ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. net — after costs
  3. net — in sport
  4. capital — a big letter
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. foot — part of the body
  8. rule — to rule out
  9. prune — to trim
  10. foot — a measure
  11. capital — money
  12. deal — to handle
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. foot — the bottom
  15. prune — the fruit
  16. deal — a big deal
  17. rule — government
  18. capital — a city
  19. stem — to come from
  20. wound — past of 'wind'
  21. prune — to trim
  22. wound — an injury
  23. rule — a law
  24. wound — an injury

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