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 120 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 · racket · firm · lash · cap · mate · wake · lie

  1. Have you found your soul ________________?
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  24. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a partner
  2. lie — to recline
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. mate — a friend
  6. net — after costs
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. cap — a lid
  12. mate — to breed
  13. net — in sport
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. firm — steady
  16. cap — a hat
  17. cap — of ice
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. firm — decided
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. firm — a company
  22. wake — a trail
  23. net — for catching
  24. racket — for tennis

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