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. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  3. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  6. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  10. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  22. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. wound — an injury
  3. tear — from crying
  4. net — after costs
  5. straw — a straw man
  6. bore — to tire
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. tear — to rip
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. ball — a dance
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. scale — in music
  15. scale — size or range
  16. wound — an injury
  17. net — in sport
  18. wound — past of 'wind'
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. ball — a great time
  21. straw — dry grass
  22. bore — to drill
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. tear — from crying

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