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: sharp · bat · game · key · ball · rush · net · object

  1. This piece is in a major ________________.
  2. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. That was a fun ________________.
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  24. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. sharp — clever
  3. net — after costs
  4. game — wild animals
  5. net — in sport
  6. bat — the animal
  7. ball — a great time
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. bat — for baseball
  11. key — the most important part
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. object — to protest
  14. object — a thing
  15. ball — a dance
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. game — a match
  19. net — for catching
  20. key — for a lock
  21. object — an aim
  22. rush — hurry
  23. sharp — with an edge
  24. bat — in an idiom

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