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 124 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. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. He is an ace ________________.
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. My father caught me by the ________________.
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  14. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. We're almost out of ________________.
  19. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  20. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  21. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — a series
  2. wind — to turn a key
  3. pop — to visit
  4. pitcher — in baseball
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. track — a song
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. net — for catching
  9. foot — a measure
  10. rash — hasty
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. net — after costs
  13. wind — moving air
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. track — to keep track
  17. track — a path
  18. pop — soda
  19. foot — the bottom
  20. wind — moving air
  21. arm — a part of something
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. pop — music
  24. net — in sport

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