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: bulb · net · chair · wound · bank · hide · track · rule

  1. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  2. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  10. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  11. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  14. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  19. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  23. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  24. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a professorship
  2. net — in sport
  3. net — after costs
  4. net — for catching
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. bulb — for light
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. rule — to rule out
  10. rule — government
  11. wound — an injury
  12. bulb — for light
  13. bank — of a river
  14. wound — an injury
  15. bank — for money
  16. track — a song
  17. track — to keep track
  18. chair — a leader
  19. rule — a law
  20. track — a path
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. wound — past of 'wind'
  23. chair — to sit on
  24. bank — for money

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