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: sharp · swing · race · mug · patient · net · wave · snap

  1. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  3. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  6. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  14. David sat on the ________________.
  15. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  16. Where did you ________________ them?
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  20. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  21. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  24. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. snap — to snap out of it
  3. race — a contest
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. snap — to click
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. snap — to speak sharply
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. swing — in golf
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. race — the arms race
  14. swing — to play on
  15. mug — a face
  16. mug — to rob
  17. sharp — clever
  18. net — after costs
  19. race — humankind
  20. swing — music
  21. net — for catching
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. mug — a cup
  24. patient — a sick person

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