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: land · foot · squash · row · rash · net · dip · firm

  1. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  2. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  10. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  13. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  14. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  20. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  21. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  24. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. net — after costs
  2. rash — a series
  3. net — in sport
  4. net — for catching
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. foot — a measure
  7. firm — steady
  8. squash — to crush
  9. squash — the sport
  10. row — to paddle
  11. land — to come down
  12. firm — a company
  13. row — a line
  14. foot — the bottom
  15. rash — hasty
  16. row — a quarrel
  17. firm — decided
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. foot — part of the body
  20. land — a country
  21. dip — to dunk
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. dip — to sink
  24. land — ground

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