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: nail · net · racket · pitcher · rule · lie · straw · face

  1. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  2. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  3. He is an ace ________________.
  4. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  5. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  21. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  22. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  23. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  24. Fill up this ________________ with water.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. net — after costs
  3. pitcher — in baseball
  4. rule — to rule out
  5. rule — government
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. face — part of the head
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. net — for catching
  12. face — to confront
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. net — in sport
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. lie — to recline
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. face — to point toward
  21. straw — a straw man
  22. straw — dry grass
  23. rule — a law
  24. pitcher — a jug

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