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. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  8. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  9. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  10. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  11. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. degree — from a university
  3. rock — music
  4. track — a song
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. rush — hurry
  7. snap — to click
  8. foot — a measure
  9. foot — part of the body
  10. foot — the bottom
  11. snap — to snap out of it
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. bear — the animal
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. net — after costs
  16. track — to keep track
  17. degree — temperature
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. bear — the animal
  20. snap — to speak sharply
  21. rock — a stone
  22. track — a path
  23. degree — an amount
  24. net — in sport

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