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 words: he'll be late again.
  2. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. Don't do anything ________________.
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. When are we going to ________________?
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  15. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  16. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  19. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  20. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. He has no idea where the ________________ is.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. mine — belonging to me
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. mark — a grade
  7. rash — hasty
  8. net — after costs
  9. mine — for digging
  10. land — to come down
  11. present — there
  12. net — for catching
  13. present — the time now
  14. land — a country
  15. row — a line
  16. row — to paddle
  17. net — in sport
  18. mine — an explosive
  19. row — a quarrel
  20. land — ground
  21. rash — a series
  22. present — a gift
  23. mark — a trace
  24. safe — a strongbox

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