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: net · ground · wake · spring · cue · suit · bat · present

  1. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  6. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  7. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  10. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  14. When will it ________________ you to start?
  15. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  20. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  24. He took the fish out of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. suit — in cards
  3. cue — a signal
  4. present — the time now
  5. present — a gift
  6. spring — a coil
  7. spring — of water
  8. wake — a trail
  9. bat — in an idiom
  10. ground — the earth
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. ground — a position
  13. bat — for baseball
  14. suit — to fit
  15. spring — the season
  16. net — after costs
  17. bat — the animal
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. ground — crushed
  20. cue — a hint
  21. present — there
  22. cue — for pool
  23. suit — clothes
  24. net — for catching

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