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. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  2. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  20. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  21. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  22. Have you found your soul ________________?
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. net — after costs
  2. track — to keep track
  3. tear — from crying
  4. track — a song
  5. tube — the underground
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. net — for catching
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. mate — a friend
  11. tear — from crying
  12. track — a path
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. mark — a trace
  19. tube — a container
  20. tear — to rip
  21. mate — to breed
  22. mate — a partner
  23. net — in sport
  24. mark — a grade

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