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. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  2. There's no middle ________________.
  3. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  4. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  19. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  20. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  24. I got dealt a bad ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — to spread on bread
  2. ground — a position
  3. hand — help
  4. jam — a tight spot
  5. net — in sport
  6. jam — in traffic
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. board — a committee
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. hand — part of the body
  11. net — after costs
  12. current — of water
  13. snap — to snap out of it
  14. net — for catching
  15. current — electric
  16. current — happening now
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. ground — the earth
  19. ground — crushed
  20. snap — to speak sharply
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. board — to get on
  23. snap — to click
  24. hand — in cards

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