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: club · nail · bowl · mark · hand · snap · pitcher · press

  1. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  2. He is an ace ________________.
  3. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  4. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  5. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  18. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  21. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  22. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  23. Did you ________________ the button?
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for dancing
  2. pitcher — in baseball
  3. snap — to click
  4. hand — help
  5. hand — part of the body
  6. press — newspapers
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. mark — a trace
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. hand — in cards
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. club — a group
  15. mark — a grade
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. snap — to snap out of it
  18. club — for golf
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. snap — to speak sharply
  21. press — a publisher
  22. bowl — a football final
  23. press — to push
  24. nail — on a finger

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