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: cell · bat · net · saw · racket · row · chair · pound

  1. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  3. He was locked up in a ________________.
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  6. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  7. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  8. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  14. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  15. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  16. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  17. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  22. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  23. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. chair — a leader
  3. cell — in a prison
  4. saw — the tool
  5. row — to paddle
  6. row — a line
  7. pound — to hit hard
  8. chair — a professorship
  9. saw — the tool
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. net — in sport
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. bat — in an idiom
  14. pound — a weight
  15. cell — a phone
  16. bat — for baseball
  17. row — a quarrel
  18. net — for catching
  19. pound — for dogs
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. chair — to sit on
  22. bat — the animal
  23. cell — in biology
  24. net — after costs

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