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. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  8. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. net — after costs
  2. chair — to sit on
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. chair — a professorship
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. bank — of a river
  8. hand — part of the body
  9. bear — the animal
  10. net — for catching
  11. prune — to trim
  12. chair — a leader
  13. hand — in cards
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. bank — for money
  16. net — in sport
  17. current — happening now
  18. hand — help
  19. current — of water
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. prune — to trim
  22. bank — for money
  23. bear — the animal
  24. current — electric

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