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: straw · rule · net · wound · last · bore · racket · rash

  1. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  2. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. False peace will not ________________.
  9. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  15. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  16. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  17. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  18. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  19. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  20. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  21. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  22. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  23. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  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. rash — on the skin
  2. last — finally
  3. net — in sport
  4. straw — a straw man
  5. rash — hasty
  6. rule — government
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. last — to go on
  9. rule — to rule out
  10. rash — a series
  11. straw — to clutch at straws
  12. bore — to tire
  13. bore — to drill
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. straw — dry grass
  16. rule — a law
  17. wound — past of 'wind'
  18. wound — an injury
  19. wound — an injury
  20. net — for catching
  21. racket — a loud noise
  22. bore — gave birth
  23. last — final
  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