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 116 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: fine · current · kid · net · ball · cell · rash · bark

  1. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  2. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  13. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  14. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  15. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  21. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. He was locked up in a ________________.
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — a phone
  2. bark — of a tree
  3. fine — high quality
  4. net — for catching
  5. net — after costs
  6. ball — a dance
  7. current — happening now
  8. current — of water
  9. net — in sport
  10. bark — to shout
  11. fine — all right
  12. rash — a series
  13. cell — in biology
  14. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  15. kid — child
  16. ball — a great time
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. bark — a dog's sound
  21. kid — to tease
  22. rash — hasty
  23. cell — in a prison
  24. current — electric

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