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. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  2. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. spring — a coil
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. snap — to speak sharply
  4. net — for catching
  5. snap — to click
  6. net — in sport
  7. spring — of water
  8. net — after costs
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. mark — a trace
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. mark — a grade
  20. snap — to snap out of it
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. spring — the season
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. sharp — clever

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