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. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  3. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  4. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  5. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  6. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  10. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  11. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  20. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  24. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.

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

Answer key

  1. net — after costs
  2. wax — to grow
  3. jam — to spread on bread
  4. firm — steady
  5. foot — a measure
  6. hand — in cards
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. net — in sport
  9. jam — in traffic
  10. firm — decided
  11. foot — the bottom
  12. net — for catching
  13. hand — part of the body
  14. hand — help
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. firm — a company
  18. saw — the tool
  19. kick — a thrill
  20. kick — in football
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. saw — the tool
  23. jam — a tight spot
  24. kick — with a leg

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