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 116 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 ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. Where did you ________________ them?
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  7. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  18. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  19. There's no middle ________________.
  20. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. mug — to rob
  3. bank — for money
  4. wind — moving air
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. snap — to click
  7. mug — a face
  8. net — after costs
  9. can — a tin
  10. snap — to speak sharply
  11. can — to be able to
  12. prune — to trim
  13. prune — to trim
  14. bank — for money
  15. wind — to turn a key
  16. can — a tin
  17. wind — moving air
  18. ground — the earth
  19. ground — a position
  20. mug — a cup
  21. ground — crushed
  22. net — for catching
  23. bank — of a river
  24. snap — to snap out of it

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