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: rash · net · ground · racket · lie · row · pop · mouse

  1. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  2. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. There's no middle ________________.
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  24. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. row — to paddle
  3. net — in sport
  4. net — after costs
  5. row — a line
  6. pop — music
  7. row — a quarrel
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. ground — a position
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. net — for catching
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. rash — a series
  14. ground — crushed
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. pop — to visit
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. pop — soda
  22. lie — to recline
  23. ground — the earth
  24. rash — hasty

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