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. You don't need to ________________ round.
  2. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  5. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  8. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. pop — to visit
  2. net — after costs
  3. pop — music
  4. kick — in football
  5. fall — the season
  6. ball — a great time
  7. fall — to drop
  8. kick — with a leg
  9. net — in sport
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. mate — to breed
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. mate — a partner
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. pop — soda
  17. fall — to drop
  18. ball — a dance
  19. mate — a friend
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. rush — hurry
  22. net — for catching
  23. kick — a thrill
  24. cabinet — ministers

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