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: mate · mark · board · lash · track · face · game · net

  1. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  21. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  22. Have you found your soul ________________?
  23. That was a fun ________________.
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. net — after costs
  2. mark — a trace
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. track — a song
  5. game — wild animals
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. mate — to breed
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. face — to confront
  12. mate — a friend
  13. track — a path
  14. board — a committee
  15. face — part of the head
  16. net — in sport
  17. board — to get on
  18. track — to keep track
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. net — for catching
  21. face — to point toward
  22. mate — a partner
  23. game — a match
  24. mark — a grade

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