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: net · drill · snap · mate · bank · cold · face · swing

  1. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  2. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  6. The water is too ________________.
  7. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  11. David sat on the ________________.
  12. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  18. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  24. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — the Cold War
  2. mate — a friend
  3. snap — to click
  4. bank — for money
  5. swing — in golf
  6. cold — not warm
  7. snap — to snap out of it
  8. mate — to breed
  9. net — in sport
  10. swing — music
  11. swing — to play on
  12. drill — a practice
  13. face — to point toward
  14. bank — of a river
  15. cold — an illness
  16. mate — a partner
  17. drill — army training
  18. drill — the tool
  19. bank — for money
  20. net — after costs
  21. face — to confront
  22. net — for catching
  23. face — part of the head
  24. snap — to speak sharply

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