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. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  2. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  11. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  12. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  13. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  18. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  19. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  22. We're almost out of ________________.
  23. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  24. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. net — after costs
  3. mate — a partner
  4. pop — music
  5. pitch — a sports field
  6. mate — to breed
  7. pop — to visit
  8. wound — past of 'wind'
  9. net — in sport
  10. pitch — a sales talk
  11. pound — for dogs
  12. staff — employees
  13. pound — a weight
  14. net — for catching
  15. mate — a friend
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. staff — a stick
  18. wound — an injury
  19. pitch — completely
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. pound — to hit hard
  22. pop — soda
  23. wound — an injury
  24. staff — employees

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