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 · rash · mouse · object · kick · tear · pitch · charge

  1. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  2. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  7. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. Don't do anything ________________.
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  14. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  21. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  22. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  23. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  24. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sports field
  2. net — after costs
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. kick — in football
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. tear — from crying
  7. rash — a series
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. net — in sport
  10. net — for catching
  11. rash — hasty
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. object — a thing
  14. tear — from crying
  15. charge — in control
  16. charge — electricity
  17. charge — a price
  18. kick — with a leg
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. tear — to rip
  21. kick — a thrill
  22. object — to protest
  23. pitch — completely
  24. object — an aim

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