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. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. net — in sport
  4. lie — to recline
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. net — after costs
  7. stock — shares
  8. mine — for digging
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. sharp — clever
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. net — for catching
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. scale — in music
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. mine — an explosive
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. mine — belonging to me
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. scale — for weighing
  23. stock — goods
  24. sharp — exactly

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