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. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  2. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  14. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  15. David sat on the ________________.
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  20. My mare is ________________ in color.
  21. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  22. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  23. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  24. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to click
  2. staff — employees
  3. snap — to speak sharply
  4. club — a group
  5. net — after costs
  6. net — in sport
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. staff — employees
  9. deal — to handle
  10. staff — a stick
  11. net — for catching
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. swing — music
  14. row — to paddle
  15. swing — to play on
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. row — a quarrel
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. swing — in golf
  20. bay — a horse colour
  21. club — for golf
  22. row — a line
  23. club — for dancing
  24. snap — to snap out of it

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