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. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  6. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  9. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  10. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  11. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  12. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  23. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. firm — a company
  3. net — after costs
  4. rash — hasty
  5. straw — a straw man
  6. firm — decided
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. firm — steady
  9. toast — bread
  10. file — a line of people
  11. straw — dry grass
  12. straw — to clutch at straws
  13. net — in sport
  14. rash — a series
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. toast — a drink to someone
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. ball — a great time
  19. file — a document
  20. ball — a dance
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. file — a tool
  23. toast — the most admired
  24. nail — for a hammer

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