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

Word bank: snap · fan · rest · fork · pitcher · date · spell · racket

  1. He is an ace ________________.
  2. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  5. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  6. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. Have you settled on a ________________?
  19. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  24. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. snap — to speak sharply
  5. rest — what's left
  6. snap — to click
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. spell — magic
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. snap — to snap out of it
  11. spell — a short time
  12. racket — a loud noise
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. rest — a break
  17. rest — what's left
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. date — the fruit
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. spell — letters
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. fork — a garden tool
  24. fork — in a road

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