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. The light ________________ burned out.
  2. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  9. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  10. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. net — in sport
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. snap — to speak sharply
  5. net — after costs
  6. bark — of a tree
  7. sharp — clever
  8. snap — to snap out of it
  9. snap — to click
  10. race — a contest
  11. current — electric
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. bark — a dog's sound
  14. net — for catching
  15. bark — to shout
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. pass — a permit
  19. race — humankind
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. race — the arms race
  22. current — of water
  23. bulb — for light
  24. current — happening now

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