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 116 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. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  9. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. You don't need to ________________ round.
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. We're almost out of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. hand — in cards
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. net — for catching
  5. hand — part of the body
  6. net — after costs
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. snap — to snap out of it
  9. pop — music
  10. tube — a container
  11. pass — a permit
  12. snap — to speak sharply
  13. snap — to click
  14. pop — to visit
  15. tube — the underground
  16. hand — help
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. pop — soda

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