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 116 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. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  24. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. bowl — a dish
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. file — a line of people
  5. net — in sport
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. net — after costs
  8. bark — a dog's sound
  9. mark — a trace
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. bark — to shout
  12. fine — high quality
  13. bark — of a tree
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. pitch — completely
  17. pitch — a sales talk
  18. mark — a grade
  19. fine — all right
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. file — a document
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. bowl — to roll
  24. file — a tool

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