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 water is too ________________.
  2. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  14. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  15. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  20. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. Did you ________________ the button?
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  24. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — not warm
  2. net — in sport
  3. pound — for dogs
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. cold — the Cold War
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. mark — a trace
  8. snap — to speak sharply
  9. net — for catching
  10. press — newspapers
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. net — after costs
  13. pound — a weight
  14. press — a publisher
  15. cold — an illness
  16. fine — all right
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. mark — a grade
  19. snap — to snap out of it
  20. snap — to click
  21. plane — a tool
  22. press — to push
  23. fine — high quality
  24. pound — to hit hard

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