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. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  3. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  4. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  11. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  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. saw — past of 'see'
  2. net — after costs
  3. drill — army training
  4. drill — the tool
  5. net — in sport
  6. bat — for baseball
  7. ball — a great time
  8. bat — in an idiom
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. content — happy
  11. content — videos and posts
  12. saw — the tool
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. content — the amount
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. drill — a practice
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. bat — the animal
  19. pit — a hole
  20. saw — the tool
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. ball — a dance
  23. pit — in a race
  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