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 116 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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: key · snap · net · land · fall · track

  1. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. When are we going to ________________?
  5. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  18. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. fall — to drop
  3. track — to keep track
  4. land — to come down
  5. snap — to click
  6. key — the most important part
  7. land — a country
  8. track — a song
  9. track — a path
  10. fall — the season
  11. key — for a lock
  12. snap — to speak sharply
  13. key — in music
  14. land — ground
  15. net — after costs
  16. net — in sport
  17. fall — to drop
  18. snap — to snap out of it

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