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. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  3. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. He was locked up in a ________________.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. snap — to click
  3. cell — a phone
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. bear — the animal
  6. cell — in biology
  7. chip — for betting
  8. rest — a break
  9. rest — what's left
  10. cell — in a prison
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. rest — what's left
  13. bear — the animal
  14. net — after costs
  15. snap — to snap out of it
  16. net — in sport
  17. bank — of a river
  18. race — a contest
  19. bank — for money
  20. race — humankind
  21. chip — to eat
  22. snap — to speak sharply
  23. bank — for money
  24. race — the arms race

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