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. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. We're on a ________________ here.
  11. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. That was a fun ________________.
  16. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  17. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  18. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  24. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. object — a thing
  3. net — after costs
  4. row — a line
  5. mark — a grade
  6. deal — to handle
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. roll — on a roll
  11. row — a quarrel
  12. game — wild animals
  13. roll — a list
  14. net — in sport
  15. game — a match
  16. roll — a cake
  17. object — to protest
  18. object — an aim
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. game — a kind of play
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. net — for catching
  23. deal — an agreement
  24. row — to paddle

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