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 · march · degree · season · field · dip · rock

  1. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  2. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  3. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  7. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  19. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  22. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  23. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  24. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to speak sharply
  2. snap — to click
  3. field — farmland
  4. rock — a stone
  5. season — in sport
  6. field — for sport
  7. degree — from a university
  8. net — for catching
  9. degree — an amount
  10. season — of the year
  11. dip — a sauce
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. dip — to sink
  14. net — after costs
  15. net — in sport
  16. field — a subject
  17. rock — music
  18. dip — to dunk
  19. snap — to snap out of it
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. march — the month
  22. degree — temperature
  23. march — the month
  24. march — music

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