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: calf · rock · present · mine · ground · net · tube · ball

  1. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  11. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. There's no middle ________________.
  17. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  18. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  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. ball — a great time
  2. mine — for digging
  3. net — after costs
  4. rock — music
  5. tube — the underground
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. tube — a container
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. ground — the earth
  11. mine — belonging to me
  12. net — in sport
  13. present — the time now
  14. present — there
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. ground — a position
  17. present — a gift
  18. mine — an explosive
  19. rock — a stone
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. ground — crushed
  23. ball — a dance
  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