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: plane · nail · mate · ground · straw · bark · net · content

  1. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  8. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  9. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  10. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  11. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. Have you found your soul ________________?
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. bark — to shout
  3. ground — the earth
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. straw — a straw man
  6. ground — a position
  7. straw — to clutch at straws
  8. straw — dry grass
  9. bark — a dog's sound
  10. content — videos and posts
  11. bark — of a tree
  12. net — after costs
  13. mate — a friend
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. content — happy
  16. mate — to breed
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. content — the amount
  19. net — for catching
  20. ground — crushed
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. mate — a partner
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. plane — a tool

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