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: foot · fork · pass · bore · net · cell · capital · straw

  1. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  10. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  13. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  14. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  15. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  20. He was locked up in a ________________.
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  23. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  24. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. net — after costs
  3. straw — a straw man
  4. straw — dry grass
  5. bore — to drill
  6. pass — a permit
  7. foot — the bottom
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. cell — in biology
  10. fork — a garden tool
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. fork — in a road
  13. foot — part of the body
  14. capital — money
  15. foot — a measure
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. net — for catching
  19. capital — a big letter
  20. cell — in a prison
  21. bore — to tire
  22. fork — to eat with
  23. capital — a city
  24. cell — a phone

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