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. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  9. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  10. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  11. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  12. David sat on the ________________.
  13. When are we going to ________________?
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  18. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  19. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  20. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. hand — in cards
  5. net — for catching
  6. land — ground
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. land — a country
  9. drill — a practice
  10. firm — a company
  11. swing — in golf
  12. swing — to play on
  13. land — to come down
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. firm — decided
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. firm — steady
  18. drill — the tool
  19. hand — help
  20. swing — music
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. drill — army training
  24. net — after costs

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