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. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  5. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  8. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  9. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  12. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. He was locked up in a ________________.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  24. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. snap — to click
  3. bound — tied together
  4. snap — to speak sharply
  5. cell — in biology
  6. net — after costs
  7. cell — a phone
  8. pit — a hole
  9. toast — bread
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. toast — a drink to someone
  12. toast — the most admired
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. cell — in a prison
  16. current — of water
  17. net — for catching
  18. bound — obliged
  19. snap — to snap out of it
  20. current — electric
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. bound — certain
  23. net — in sport
  24. pit — in a race

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