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. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  2. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  21. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  24. The players ran onto the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. club — a group
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. net — after costs
  4. club — for golf
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. net — for catching
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. club — for dancing
  11. scale — size or range
  12. pound — to hit hard
  13. scale — in music
  14. pound — for dogs
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. net — in sport
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. pitch — completely
  21. dip — a sauce
  22. dip — to sink
  23. pound — a weight
  24. pitch — a sports field

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