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

Word bank: pitcher · net · snap · bowl · club · capital · bear · fan

  1. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  3. He is an ace ________________.
  4. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  12. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. bowl — a dish
  3. pitcher — in baseball
  4. club — for golf
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. capital — money
  7. net — in sport
  8. capital — a city
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. capital — a big letter
  12. club — a group
  13. net — after costs
  14. snap — to snap out of it
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. bear — the animal
  17. net — for catching
  18. snap — to click
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. bowl — to roll
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. club — for dancing
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. fan — to cool the air

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