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 · lean · mouse · lash · net · bark · leaves · deal

  1. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  2. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. net — after costs
  2. lean — thin
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. mine — for digging
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. bark — of a tree
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. bark — to shout
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. deal — to handle
  16. bark — a dog's sound
  17. net — for catching
  18. net — in sport
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. mine — belonging to me
  23. lash — to lash out
  24. lean — to bend

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