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. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  2. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  10. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  19. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  20. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  23. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  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. racket — for tennis
  2. march — music
  3. net — after costs
  4. tube — a container
  5. tube — the underground
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. net — for catching
  8. fine — all right
  9. march — the month
  10. squash — the vegetable
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. wax — to grow
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. squash — to crush
  16. fine — a penalty
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. fine — high quality
  20. squash — the sport
  21. stem — to come from
  22. stem — a stem cell
  23. march — the month
  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