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. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. He is an ace ________________.
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  9. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. Have you found your soul ________________?
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  21. When was this ________________ built?
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. He took the fish out of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. pitcher — in baseball
  3. game — a match
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. game — a kind of play
  6. net — after costs
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. temple — side of the head
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. mate — to breed
  12. net — in sport
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. mate — a partner
  15. saw — the tool
  16. sharp — clever
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. saw — the tool
  20. game — wild animals
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. mate — a friend
  23. bear — the animal
  24. net — for catching

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