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. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  2. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  3. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  4. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  5. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  6. The ball is in your ________________.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  10. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  15. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to speak sharply
  2. net — after costs
  3. object — a thing
  4. jam — a tight spot
  5. object — an aim
  6. court — for sport
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. bulb — for light
  9. snap — to snap out of it
  10. court — of law
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. jam — to spread on bread
  13. bear — the animal
  14. object — to protest
  15. court — of a king
  16. net — for catching
  17. net — in sport
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. bear — the animal
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. bulb — for light
  22. snap — to click
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. jam — in traffic

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