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: squash · mine · stick · net · last · present · wake · racket

  1. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  16. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. False peace will not ________________.
  19. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  20. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. mine — belonging to me
  3. net — in sport
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. squash — the sport
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. present — the time now
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. mine — for digging
  14. net — after costs
  15. last — final
  16. last — finally
  17. present — there
  18. last — to go on
  19. squash — the vegetable
  20. wake — a trail
  21. present — a gift
  22. squash — to crush
  23. mine — an explosive
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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