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. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. How do you ________________ your surname?
  12. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  21. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. spell — a short time
  3. net — after costs
  4. fine — high quality
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. pound — to hit hard
  7. rest — what's left
  8. prune — the fruit
  9. prune — to trim
  10. net — in sport
  11. spell — letters
  12. pound — a weight
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. fine — all right
  15. scale — in music
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. scale — size or range
  18. prune — to trim
  19. net — for catching
  20. pound — for dogs
  21. rest — a break
  22. dip — to sink
  23. spell — magic
  24. dip — a sauce

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