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 · dip · snap · lean · stick · march · kick · saw

  1. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  14. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  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. net — for catching
  2. lean — to bend
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. net — in sport
  6. dip — to sink
  7. saw — the tool
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. kick — a thrill
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. kick — in football
  12. net — after costs
  13. march — the month
  14. march — music
  15. lean — thin
  16. march — the month
  17. snap — to click
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. kick — with a leg
  20. saw — the tool
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. snap — to speak sharply
  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