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: club · mark · foot · object · net · fine · game · ground

  1. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  4. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. That was a fun ________________.
  14. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  15. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  16. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  17. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  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. object — to protest
  2. fine — all right
  3. foot — the bottom
  4. object — an aim
  5. net — in sport
  6. club — for dancing
  7. net — for catching
  8. game — wild animals
  9. foot — a measure
  10. mark — a trace
  11. net — after costs
  12. ground — a position
  13. game — a match
  14. ground — crushed
  15. club — for golf
  16. foot — part of the body
  17. object — a thing
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. ground — the earth
  20. fine — high quality
  21. game — a kind of play
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. club — a group
  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