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: ground · straw · race · file · lie · racket · board · net

  1. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  7. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  14. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  15. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  18. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  23. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. lie — to recline
  3. net — for catching
  4. racket — a loud noise
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. race — a contest
  8. net — after costs
  9. file — a document
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. ground — crushed
  12. ground — a position
  13. file — a line of people
  14. straw — a straw man
  15. file — a tool
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. race — the arms race
  18. straw — to clutch at straws
  19. board — to get on
  20. straw — dry grass
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. race — humankind
  23. ground — the earth
  24. board — a committee

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