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: mate · rush · snap · field · nail · fork · net · mark

  1. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  9. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  13. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  16. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  17. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. net — after costs
  3. net — for catching
  4. mark — a grade
  5. fork — to eat with
  6. mate — to breed
  7. rush — hurry
  8. field — farmland
  9. snap — to snap out of it
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. mark — a trace
  12. field — for sport
  13. fork — in a road
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. fork — a garden tool
  16. snap — to speak sharply
  17. field — a subject
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. net — in sport
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. mate — a friend
  23. snap — to click
  24. mate — a partner

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