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: toast · firm · date · roll · snap · racket · ground · game

  1. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  2. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  3. We're on a ________________ here.
  4. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  5. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  6. Have you settled on a ________________?
  7. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  10. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  13. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  14. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  15. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  16. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  17. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  18. That was a fun ________________.
  19. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  22. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  23. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  24. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.

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

Answer key

  1. game — wild animals
  2. snap — to click
  3. roll — on a roll
  4. firm — steady
  5. roll — a cake
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. snap — to speak sharply
  8. ground — the earth
  9. toast — the most admired
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. ground — a position
  12. firm — a company
  13. toast — a drink to someone
  14. game — a kind of play
  15. toast — bread
  16. date — the fruit
  17. ground — crushed
  18. game — a match
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. racket — a loud noise
  22. roll — a list
  23. firm — decided
  24. snap — to snap out of it

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