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. That must've been a ________________.
  2. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  6. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  15. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  19. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. face — to point toward
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. snap — to click
  6. face — to confront
  7. chip — to eat
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. object — to protest
  10. rush — hurry
  11. snap — to speak sharply
  12. net — after costs
  13. chip — for betting
  14. snap — to snap out of it
  15. fine — high quality
  16. fine — all right
  17. net — in sport
  18. object — an aim
  19. object — a thing
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. face — part of the head
  22. net — for catching
  23. chip — in a computer
  24. fine — a penalty

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