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: net · kick · toast · chair · firm · mouse · wound · pass

  1. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  6. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  7. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  8. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  9. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  10. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  13. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  14. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  15. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  16. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  19. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  22. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. net — for catching
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. toast — a drink to someone
  6. wound — an injury
  7. wound — an injury
  8. chair — a professorship
  9. wound — past of 'wind'
  10. chair — to sit on
  11. pass — a permit
  12. firm — a company
  13. toast — the most admired
  14. kick — in football
  15. toast — bread
  16. firm — decided
  17. net — after costs
  18. chair — a leader
  19. kick — a thrill
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. firm — steady
  22. kick — with a leg
  23. net — in sport
  24. mouse — the animal

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