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: stick · ground · date · safe · scale · net · racket · wind

  1. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  2. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  7. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  8. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  9. There's no middle ________________.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  13. Have you settled on a ________________?
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  24. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — to turn a key
  2. net — after costs
  3. net — in sport
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. wind — moving air
  8. wind — moving air
  9. ground — a position
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. date — the fruit
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. net — for catching
  15. scale — for weighing
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. safe — a strongbox
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. scale — in music
  21. scale — size or range
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. ground — crushed
  24. ground — the earth

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