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. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  2. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. That was a fun ________________.
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  22. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  24. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — a measure
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. foot — the bottom
  4. mark — a grade
  5. foot — part of the body
  6. spell — letters
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. spell — a short time
  9. current — of water
  10. mark — a trace
  11. net — in sport
  12. net — after costs
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. bat — in an idiom
  15. current — happening now
  16. current — electric
  17. bat — the animal
  18. spell — magic
  19. game — a match
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. game — wild animals
  22. bat — for baseball
  23. net — for catching
  24. racket — a loud noise

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