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 120 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. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  17. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  23. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. net — after costs
  2. present — the time now
  3. rock — a stone
  4. present — there
  5. wound — an injury
  6. plane — a tool
  7. wound — an injury
  8. lean — thin
  9. mate — a friend
  10. mate — to breed
  11. net — for catching
  12. chest — a box
  13. net — in sport
  14. present — a gift
  15. rock — music
  16. wound — past of 'wind'
  17. chest — of your body
  18. lean — to bend
  19. mate — a partner
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. chest — of your body
  23. plane — in geometry
  24. lean — to rest against

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