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: pound · net · snap · capital · last · roll · jam · row

  1. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  2. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  3. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  4. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  5. False peace will not ________________.
  6. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  7. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  8. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  11. We're on a ________________ here.
  12. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  13. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  14. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  15. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  16. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  17. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  18. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  19. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  22. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  23. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a list
  2. jam — to spread on bread
  3. snap — to snap out of it
  4. pound — for dogs
  5. last — to go on
  6. pound — to hit hard
  7. snap — to speak sharply
  8. last — finally
  9. net — for catching
  10. row — to paddle
  11. roll — on a roll
  12. capital — money
  13. capital — a city
  14. snap — to click
  15. capital — a big letter
  16. jam — a tight spot
  17. last — final
  18. jam — in traffic
  19. pound — a weight
  20. net — after costs
  21. row — a line
  22. roll — a cake
  23. row — a quarrel
  24. net — in sport

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