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: wound · pit · net · mouse · bulb · plane · leaves · racket

  1. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  2. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. bulb — for light
  5. pit — in a race
  6. net — after costs
  7. pit — a hole
  8. plane — a tool
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. bulb — for light
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. net — for catching
  15. wound — past of 'wind'
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. wound — an injury
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. net — in sport

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