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: spring · scale · pound · band · fan · net · object · lean

  1. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  7. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  8. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  15. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  21. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  22. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  23. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. pound — for dogs
  3. net — for catching
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. scale — in music
  6. band — a ring
  7. band — a music group
  8. spring — of water
  9. lean — thin
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. object — an aim
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. object — to protest
  14. pound — a weight
  15. spring — the season
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. pound — to hit hard
  18. scale — size or range
  19. lean — to bend
  20. spring — a coil
  21. band — a rubber band
  22. object — a thing
  23. scale — for weighing
  24. net — after costs

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