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. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  2. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  11. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  20. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  21. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. net — after costs
  3. spell — a short time
  4. net — for catching
  5. ball — a dance
  6. spell — letters
  7. firm — decided
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. ball — a great time
  10. spring — the season
  11. spring — a coil
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. firm — a company
  15. deal — to handle
  16. spring — of water
  17. spell — magic
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. straw — to clutch at straws
  20. net — in sport
  21. firm — steady
  22. board — a committee
  23. board — to get on
  24. straw — a straw man

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