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 ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  2. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  5. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  6. The ball is in your ________________.
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  10. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  22. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. We took cover from the thunder ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of law
  2. snap — to snap out of it
  3. net — after costs
  4. drill — army training
  5. shower — to wash
  6. court — for sport
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. court — of a king
  10. drill — the tool
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. net — in sport
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. net — for catching
  18. snap — to click
  19. bulb — for light
  20. bulb — for light
  21. drill — a practice
  22. shower — a meteor shower
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. shower — rain

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