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. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  7. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  13. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  24. There's a computer ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. snap — to click
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. jam — to spread on bread
  5. net — in sport
  6. toast — bread
  7. jam — in traffic
  8. pop — music
  9. net — after costs
  10. jam — a tight spot
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. toast — the most admired
  13. snap — to speak sharply
  14. net — for catching
  15. snap — to snap out of it
  16. pop — soda
  17. toast — a drink to someone
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. chip — to eat
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. pop — to visit
  23. chip — for betting
  24. chip — in a computer

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