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. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  7. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  8. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  21. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  22. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  23. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  24. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. mark — a trace
  3. kick — with a leg
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. degree — from a university
  7. shower — rain
  8. snap — to click
  9. mark — a grade
  10. shower — to wash
  11. prune — to trim
  12. snap — to speak sharply
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. prune — to trim
  15. net — after costs
  16. kick — in football
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. net — in sport
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. shower — a meteor shower
  21. degree — an amount
  22. kick — a thrill
  23. snap — to snap out of it
  24. degree — temperature

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