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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  2. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  8. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  16. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. Did you ________________ the button?

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to snap out of it
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. press — a publisher
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. club — for dancing
  8. snap — to speak sharply
  9. net — in sport
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. club — a group
  12. net — after costs
  13. snap — to click
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. club — for golf
  16. press — newspapers
  17. net — for catching
  18. press — to push

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