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. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  6. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  12. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  13. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  14. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  17. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. When are we going to ________________?
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.

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

Answer key

  1. net — after costs
  2. root — of a word
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. race — the arms race
  6. land — a country
  7. lie — to recline
  8. net — for catching
  9. mine — an explosive
  10. rest — what's left
  11. root — of a plant
  12. mine — belonging to me
  13. mine — for digging
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. rest — what's left
  16. race — humankind
  17. land — ground
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. root — the cause
  20. rest — a break
  21. net — in sport
  22. land — to come down
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. race — a contest

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