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: net · game · fan · suit · cold · staff · firm · pound

  1. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  2. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  6. The water is too ________________.
  7. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  8. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  9. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  10. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  21. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  22. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  23. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  24. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — clothes
  2. game — wild animals
  3. suit — to fit
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. pound — to hit hard
  6. cold — not warm
  7. suit — in cards
  8. firm — steady
  9. staff — employees
  10. firm — a company
  11. net — for catching
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. pound — for dogs
  14. net — in sport
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. game — a match
  18. staff — employees
  19. net — after costs
  20. cold — an illness
  21. staff — a stick
  22. pound — a weight
  23. firm — decided
  24. cold — the Cold War

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