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 124 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. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. snap — to speak sharply
  3. rush — hurry
  4. net — in sport
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. can — a tin
  8. pass — a permit
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. net — for catching
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. scale — in music
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. snap — to snap out of it
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. scale — size or range
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. pass — to succeed
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. net — after costs
  23. snap — to click
  24. can — to be able to

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