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. Don't do anything ________________.
  2. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  6. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  7. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  24. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — hasty
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. net — in sport
  5. row — a quarrel
  6. row — a line
  7. row — to paddle
  8. rash — a series
  9. bowl — a dish
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. rash — on the skin
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. net — after costs
  16. sharp — clever
  17. net — for catching
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. bowl — to roll
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. pitcher — a jug

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