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. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. My father caught me by the ________________.
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  21. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  22. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  23. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  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. net — after costs
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. drill — the tool
  4. key — the most important part
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. key — in music
  8. game — wild animals
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. perch — the fish
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. key — for a lock
  17. game — a match
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. net — in sport
  20. drill — a practice
  21. game — a kind of play
  22. arm — a part of something
  23. drill — army training
  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