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 120 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 ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. Have you found your soul ________________?
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. The ball is in your ________________.
  15. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  18. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  19. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  22. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  23. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. net — after costs
  2. court — of law
  3. net — in sport
  4. lean — thin
  5. mate — a partner
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. mine — belonging to me
  9. lean — to bend
  10. mate — a friend
  11. mate — to breed
  12. net — for catching
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. court — for sport
  15. court — of a king
  16. fine — high quality
  17. mine — an explosive
  18. mine — for digging
  19. object — a thing
  20. stock — goods
  21. object — an aim
  22. object — to protest
  23. fine — all right
  24. stock — shares

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