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. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  13. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. There's no middle ________________.
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. bound — certain
  3. ground — the earth
  4. snap — to click
  5. squash — the sport
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. net — for catching
  8. bound — obliged
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. snap — to snap out of it
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. snap — to speak sharply
  13. ground — crushed
  14. rock — a stone
  15. squash — to crush
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. perch — the fish
  18. bound — tied together
  19. squash — the vegetable
  20. rock — music
  21. ground — a position
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. net — after costs
  24. pitcher — in baseball

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