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's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  14. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  15. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  23. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  24. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. club — a group
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. net — in sport
  7. snap — to speak sharply
  8. bound — obliged
  9. bound — certain
  10. bound — tied together
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. net — for catching
  13. firm — steady
  14. firm — a company
  15. club — for dancing
  16. net — after costs
  17. club — for golf
  18. spell — letters
  19. spell — a short time
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. snap — to click
  23. firm — decided
  24. spell — magic

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