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. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  2. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  8. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  15. When was this ________________ built?
  16. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  17. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  22. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  23. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — hurry
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. net — after costs
  4. net — in sport
  5. lean — to bend
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. fork — to eat with
  8. temple — side of the head
  9. wake — a trail
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. net — for catching
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. degree — temperature
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. fork — a garden tool
  17. fork — in a road
  18. lean — thin
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. degree — an amount
  23. degree — from a university
  24. rush — a thrill

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