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 120 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: net · plane · kick · club · prune · hide · drill · fan

  1. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  2. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  7. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  14. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  19. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  20. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  24. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. drill — army training
  3. plane — a tool
  4. club — for golf
  5. drill — the tool
  6. prune — to trim
  7. drill — a practice
  8. club — a group
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. net — in sport
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. club — for dancing
  14. kick — in football
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. kick — with a leg
  19. prune — to trim
  20. kick — a thrill
  21. net — after costs
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. net — for catching
  24. hide — to keep secret

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