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. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  2. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  8. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  21. You don't need to ________________ round.
  22. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for golf
  2. net — in sport
  3. mine — for digging
  4. pop — soda
  5. pitch — a sales talk
  6. bank — of a river
  7. club — for dancing
  8. pitch — completely
  9. net — for catching
  10. tube — the underground
  11. net — after costs
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. bank — for money
  14. pop — music
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. bank — for money
  18. tube — a container
  19. wake — a trail
  20. mine — an explosive
  21. pop — to visit
  22. pitch — a sports field
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. club — a group

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