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

Word bank: net · tube · date · spring · mark · foot

  1. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  2. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. Have you settled on a ________________?
  10. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  15. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  18. I have a corn on my right ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. date — the fruit
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. tube — a container
  4. tube — the underground
  5. mark — a grade
  6. net — in sport
  7. spring — the season
  8. net — after costs
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. spring — of water
  11. mark — a trace
  12. foot — a measure
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. spring — a coil
  16. net — for catching
  17. foot — the bottom
  18. foot — part of the body

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