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. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  2. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  4. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  5. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  6. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  15. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  20. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  23. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  24. The players ran onto the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to speak sharply
  2. pop — soda
  3. object — an aim
  4. object — a thing
  5. wind — to turn a key
  6. object — to protest
  7. net — in sport
  8. pitch — completely
  9. mark — a grade
  10. snap — to snap out of it
  11. net — for catching
  12. vault — in gymnastics
  13. mark — a trace
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. vault — a safe
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. pop — music
  18. pop — to visit
  19. wind — moving air
  20. wind — moving air
  21. net — after costs
  22. snap — to click
  23. vault — an arched ceiling
  24. pitch — a sports field

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