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: wake · net · straw · coach · ball · fine · mine · deal

  1. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. fine — high quality
  4. wake — a trail
  5. straw — a straw man
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. mine — for digging
  10. ball — a great time
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. net — for catching
  15. ball — a dance
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. straw — dry grass
  18. fine — all right
  19. mine — an explosive
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. net — after costs
  22. straw — to clutch at straws
  23. deal — to handle
  24. ball — a round shape

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