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: suit · plane · deal · mouse · fork · content · wax · net

  1. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  3. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  4. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  5. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  6. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. The ________________ took off on time.
  10. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. When will it ________________ you to start?
  21. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  24. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. net — after costs
  3. content — happy
  4. content — the amount
  5. suit — clothes
  6. fork — in a road
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. net — in sport
  9. plane — an aircraft
  10. fork — a garden tool
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. net — for catching
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. plane — a tool
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. wax — to grow
  20. suit — to fit
  21. suit — in cards
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. content — videos and posts
  24. deal — to handle

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