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 116 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: bat · net · pound · pit · perch · band · race · mate

  1. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  2. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  10. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  11. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  16. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  17. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  18. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  19. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  20. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — the fish
  2. mate — to breed
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. net — for catching
  6. mate — a partner
  7. bat — the animal
  8. net — in sport
  9. race — humankind
  10. band — a music group
  11. pound — to hit hard
  12. net — after costs
  13. race — the arms race
  14. pit — a hole
  15. band — a rubber band
  16. band — a ring
  17. bat — in an idiom
  18. bat — for baseball
  19. race — a contest
  20. pound — for dogs
  21. mate — a friend
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. pit — in a race
  24. pound — a weight

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