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: mine · net · racket · stand · march · bay · pop · cold

  1. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. We're almost out of ________________.
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  11. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  12. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  13. My mare is ________________ in color.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  16. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  17. The water is too ________________.
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  19. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  20. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  21. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  24. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. march — music
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. net — after costs
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. pop — soda
  8. net — for catching
  9. stand — to bear
  10. march — the month
  11. mine — belonging to me
  12. cold — the Cold War
  13. bay — a horse colour
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. mine — for digging
  16. march — the month
  17. cold — not warm
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. pop — music
  20. net — in sport
  21. cold — an illness
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. pop — to visit
  24. racket — for tennis

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