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 116 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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: bear · drill · net · mark · saw · rest

  1. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  12. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. We had a fire ________________ at school today.

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. rest — what's left
  3. bear — the animal
  4. rest — what's left
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. drill — army training
  8. net — in sport
  9. net — after costs
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. rest — a break
  12. drill — the tool
  13. mark — a grade
  14. bear — the animal
  15. saw — the tool
  16. saw — the tool
  17. mark — a trace
  18. drill — a practice

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