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. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  2. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  8. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  9. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  19. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. When will it ________________ you to start?
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  24. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.

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

Answer key

  1. net — after costs
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. tube — a container
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. net — in sport
  7. suit — in cards
  8. tear — from crying
  9. tear — to rip
  10. tube — the underground
  11. wind — moving air
  12. suit — clothes
  13. wind — moving air
  14. net — for catching
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. deal — to handle
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. wind — to turn a key
  19. hand — in cards
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. suit — to fit
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. hand — help
  24. tear — from crying

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