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. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  6. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  10. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  11. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  12. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  13. When was this ________________ built?
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  16. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  17. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  19. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  20. There's no middle ________________.
  21. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  24. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. net — after costs
  2. rest — what's left
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. pitch — completely
  6. chair — a leader
  7. ground — the earth
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. capital — money
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. capital — a city
  12. ground — crushed
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. net — in sport
  15. chair — to sit on
  16. capital — a big letter
  17. temple — side of the head
  18. pitch — a sports field
  19. rest — a break
  20. ground — a position
  21. net — for catching
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. rest — what's left
  24. chair — a professorship

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