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 120 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. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  3. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  4. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  7. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  13. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  14. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  15. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  16. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  17. We're almost out of ________________.
  18. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  19. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  20. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  21. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  22. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. net — after costs
  3. kid — to tease
  4. snap — to snap out of it
  5. net — in sport
  6. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  7. wind — moving air
  8. pop — to visit
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. kid — child
  13. wind — moving air
  14. snap — to speak sharply
  15. wind — to turn a key
  16. pop — music
  17. pop — soda
  18. craft — boats
  19. snap — to click
  20. craft — a skill
  21. wave — with your hand
  22. wave — of the sea
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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