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. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  2. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  3. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  4. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  10. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  11. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  17. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  18. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  21. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  24. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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

Answer key

  1. net — after costs
  2. scale — size or range
  3. staff — employees
  4. band — a music group
  5. net — in sport
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. toast — the most admired
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. toast — a drink to someone
  10. staff — a stick
  11. staff — employees
  12. scale — in music
  13. toast — bread
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. band — a rubber band
  17. object — a thing
  18. trunk — of a tree
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. band — a ring
  21. object — an aim
  22. sharp — clever
  23. net — for catching
  24. object — to protest

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