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: mine · pop · mug · stem · leaves · snap · rest · net

  1. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  5. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. We're almost out of ________________.
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  12. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  13. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  19. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  20. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  23. Where did you ________________ them?
  24. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. mug — a cup
  3. rest — what's left
  4. mug — a face
  5. snap — to speak sharply
  6. net — in sport
  7. pop — soda
  8. pop — to visit
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. snap — to snap out of it
  12. mine — belonging to me
  13. mine — for digging
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. net — after costs
  16. pop — music
  17. snap — to click
  18. stem — to come from
  19. rest — a break
  20. mine — an explosive
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. rest — what's left
  23. mug — to rob
  24. stem — of a plant

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