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 is in your ________________.
  2. False peace will not ________________.
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  21. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  22. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  24. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.

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

Answer key

  1. court — for sport
  2. last — to go on
  3. net — after costs
  4. mug — a face
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. saw — the tool
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. mug — to rob
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. mug — a cup
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. last — finally
  13. saw — the tool
  14. court — of law
  15. net — for catching
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. stem — of a plant
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. stem — to come from
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. last — final
  23. net — in sport
  24. court — of a king

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