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: wound · staff · kick · net · snap · mug · fine · race

  1. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  2. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  10. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  11. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  12. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  13. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  14. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  17. Where did you ________________ them?
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  21. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  22. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  23. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  24. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — a thrill
  2. staff — employees
  3. fine — all right
  4. mug — a cup
  5. wound — an injury
  6. net — in sport
  7. kick — with a leg
  8. fine — high quality
  9. race — the arms race
  10. snap — to speak sharply
  11. wound — past of 'wind'
  12. wound — an injury
  13. mug — a face
  14. snap — to click
  15. net — after costs
  16. staff — a stick
  17. mug — to rob
  18. net — for catching
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. race — humankind
  21. kick — in football
  22. race — a contest
  23. snap — to snap out of it
  24. staff — employees

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