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 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. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  7. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.

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. kick — in football
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. wind — to turn a key
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. wind — moving air
  7. snap — to speak sharply
  8. net — after costs
  9. stem — to come from
  10. current — of water
  11. net — for catching
  12. snap — to click
  13. current — electric
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. kick — with a leg
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. net — in sport
  19. wake — a trail
  20. kick — a thrill
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. current — happening now
  24. wind — moving air

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