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. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  2. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  3. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  4. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  17. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  20. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  24. I had a ________________ with my boss today.

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

Answer key

  1. net — after costs
  2. spring — a coil
  3. row — a line
  4. spring — the season
  5. net — for catching
  6. tear — to rip
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. bore — to drill
  9. net — in sport
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. bear — the animal
  12. craft — boats
  13. bore — to tire
  14. craft — a skill
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. spring — of water
  17. tear — from crying
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. tear — from crying
  20. row — to paddle
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. bear — the animal
  23. craft — a handicraft
  24. row — a quarrel

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