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. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  2. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. When was this ________________ built?
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  14. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  15. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. net — after costs
  2. foot — a measure
  3. key — for a lock
  4. net — for catching
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. wax — to grow
  10. branch — a division
  11. drill — a practice
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. foot — part of the body
  14. drill — the tool
  15. foot — the bottom
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. key — the most important part
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. temple — side of the head
  21. key — in music
  22. net — in sport
  23. drill — army training
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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