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. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  18. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  23. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. net — after costs
  2. club — for dancing
  3. rash — a series
  4. club — for golf
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. drill — the tool
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. net — for catching
  9. drill — a practice
  10. object — a thing
  11. object — an aim
  12. root — of a plant
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. object — to protest
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. drill — army training
  18. root — of a word
  19. bear — the animal
  20. rash — hasty
  21. net — in sport
  22. club — a group
  23. root — the cause
  24. bear — the animal

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