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: march · net · bat · rest · drill · suit · ground · cabinet

  1. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  2. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  10. There's no middle ________________.
  11. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  12. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  18. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  19. When will it ________________ you to start?
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  23. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  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. ground — the earth
  2. bat — the animal
  3. net — after costs
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. bat — for baseball
  6. rest — a break
  7. drill — army training
  8. rest — what's left
  9. drill — a practice
  10. ground — a position
  11. bat — in an idiom
  12. drill — the tool
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. march — the month
  15. suit — clothes
  16. rest — what's left
  17. march — music
  18. march — the month
  19. suit — to fit
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. net — in sport
  22. ground — crushed
  23. suit — in cards
  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