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: land · deal · fine · net · arm · shower · spell · can

  1. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  10. When are we going to ________________?
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  19. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  20. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  23. My father caught me by the ________________.
  24. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. can — a tin
  3. shower — a meteor shower
  4. net — for catching
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. can — a tin
  7. net — after costs
  8. net — in sport
  9. shower — rain
  10. land — to come down
  11. fine — all right
  12. arm — a part of something
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. spell — letters
  16. deal — to handle
  17. spell — magic
  18. land — a country
  19. fine — high quality
  20. shower — to wash
  21. spell — a short time
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. land — ground

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