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: content · pitch · roll · plane · date · ruler · net · club

  1. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  2. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  5. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  11. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  12. Have you settled on a ________________?
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  15. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  16. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  17. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  20. We're on a ________________ here.
  21. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  24. He took the fish out of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for dancing
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. net — after costs
  4. pitch — completely
  5. date — the fruit
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. content — videos and posts
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. net — in sport
  10. content — the amount
  11. club — for golf
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. club — a group
  16. roll — a cake
  17. roll — a list
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. ruler — a monarch
  20. roll — on a roll
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. plane — a tool
  23. content — happy
  24. net — for catching

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