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: bore · perch · season · net · fine · wake · cue · deal

  1. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. fine — high quality
  3. perch — the fish
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. wake — a trail
  6. cue — for pool
  7. net — after costs
  8. season — in sport
  9. season — of the year
  10. deal — to handle
  11. cue — a hint
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. cue — a signal
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. net — for catching
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. net — in sport
  19. bore — to tire
  20. bore — to drill
  21. deal — an agreement
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. wake — before a funeral

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