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 120 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: rock · present · wind · net · court · spring · arm · track

  1. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. The ball is in your ________________.
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  10. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  11. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  21. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  24. My father caught me by the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. net — in sport
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. track — a path
  5. court — for sport
  6. present — a gift
  7. spring — the season
  8. present — the time now
  9. court — of law
  10. spring — of water
  11. court — of a king
  12. net — after costs
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. arm — a part of something
  15. present — there
  16. rock — music
  17. track — to keep track
  18. wind — moving air
  19. rock — a stone
  20. spring — a coil
  21. wind — moving air
  22. net — for catching
  23. wind — to turn a key
  24. arm — part of the body

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