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: net · snap · can · fork · chair · bat · scale · mark

  1. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  2. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  14. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  15. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  16. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  19. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  20. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  23. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  24. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a professorship
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. scale — in music
  5. chair — a leader
  6. can — to be able to
  7. mark — a trace
  8. can — a tin
  9. net — after costs
  10. snap — to speak sharply
  11. scale — size or range
  12. mark — a grade
  13. bat — the animal
  14. chair — to sit on
  15. fork — a garden tool
  16. snap — to snap out of it
  17. net — for catching
  18. fork — in a road
  19. bat — in an idiom
  20. net — in sport
  21. can — a tin
  22. fork — to eat with
  23. bat — for baseball
  24. snap — to click

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