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. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  13. When will it ________________ you to start?
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. Where did you ________________ them?
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. mug — a cup
  4. wind — moving air
  5. net — for catching
  6. wind — to turn a key
  7. net — after costs
  8. club — for dancing
  9. mug — a face
  10. wind — moving air
  11. net — in sport
  12. club — a group
  13. suit — to fit
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. sharp — clever
  16. suit — clothes
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. club — for golf
  19. ball — a dance
  20. ball — a great time
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. mug — to rob
  24. sharp — exactly

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