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. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  4. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  9. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. Where did you ________________ them?
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  24. He refilled his coffee ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. lean — thin
  3. mine — belonging to me
  4. snap — to click
  5. net — after costs
  6. wind — to turn a key
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. mine — an explosive
  9. wind — moving air
  10. current — of water
  11. lean — to bend
  12. mine — for digging
  13. current — happening now
  14. wind — moving air
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. snap — to snap out of it
  17. net — in sport
  18. mug — to rob
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. mug — a face
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. current — electric
  23. snap — to speak sharply
  24. mug — a cup

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