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 124 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. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. Have you settled on a ________________?
  9. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  17. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  24. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. squash — to crush
  3. net — in sport
  4. date — the fruit
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. saw — the tool
  7. season — of the year
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. net — for catching
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. saw — the tool
  15. net — after costs
  16. kid — child
  17. kid — to tease
  18. mark — a trace
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. squash — the sport
  23. plane — a tool
  24. season — in sport

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