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 water is too ________________.
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  19. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. net — after costs
  2. cold — not warm
  3. current — happening now
  4. content — videos and posts
  5. pass — a permit
  6. cold — an illness
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. net — for catching
  9. plane — a tool
  10. fine — high quality
  11. net — in sport
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. content — happy
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. content — the amount
  18. pass — to succeed
  19. cold — the Cold War
  20. fine — all right
  21. current — electric
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. current — of water
  24. plane — in geometry

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