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 120 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. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  7. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  8. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  9. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  15. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  16. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  19. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  20. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  21. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  22. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  23. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. net — after costs
  2. object — a thing
  3. net — for catching
  4. bulb — for light
  5. bulb — for light
  6. race — humankind
  7. fork — in a road
  8. ground — crushed
  9. object — to protest
  10. rest — what's left
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. race — a contest
  13. rest — a break
  14. rest — what's left
  15. fork — a garden tool
  16. fork — to eat with
  17. ground — a position
  18. snap — to snap out of it
  19. race — the arms race
  20. snap — to speak sharply
  21. snap — to click
  22. object — an aim
  23. ground — the earth
  24. net — in sport

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