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. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  2. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  19. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  20. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  24. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.

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

Answer key

  1. net — after costs
  2. spring — of water
  3. can — a tin
  4. pop — music
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. can — a tin
  7. pop — to visit
  8. net — in sport
  9. board — a committee
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. vault — a safe
  12. mark — a trace
  13. net — for catching
  14. board — to get on
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. spring — the season
  17. can — to be able to
  18. mine — an explosive
  19. mine — belonging to me
  20. mine — for digging
  21. pop — soda
  22. mark — a grade
  23. spring — a coil
  24. vault — an arched ceiling

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