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: ground · club · cue · roll · fan · prune · net · wound

  1. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  2. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. There's no middle ________________.
  5. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. We're on a ________________ here.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  16. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  17. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  18. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  19. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  20. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  23. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  24. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.

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

Answer key

  1. club — a group
  2. club — for dancing
  3. net — after costs
  4. ground — a position
  5. wound — past of 'wind'
  6. prune — to trim
  7. cue — a hint
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. roll — on a roll
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. ground — crushed
  13. prune — to trim
  14. net — for catching
  15. roll — a list
  16. ground — the earth
  17. club — for golf
  18. wound — an injury
  19. roll — a cake
  20. wound — an injury
  21. net — in sport
  22. cue — a signal
  23. prune — the fruit
  24. cue — for pool

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