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. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. When will it ________________ you to start?
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  21. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  22. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — to roll
  2. saw — the tool
  3. mate — to breed
  4. suit — clothes
  5. mate — a friend
  6. net — after costs
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. suit — to fit
  9. tube — a container
  10. prune — to trim
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. suit — in cards
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. net — in sport
  16. hand — help
  17. prune — to trim
  18. saw — the tool
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. net — for catching
  21. hand — in cards
  22. bowl — a football final
  23. tube — the underground
  24. mate — a partner

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