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 116 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: snap · press · land · net · ruler · track · pitch · fall

  1. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  2. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  3. Did you ________________ the button?
  4. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  5. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  6. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  7. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  10. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  11. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  19. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  24. When are we going to ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. net — after costs
  2. land — ground
  3. press — to push
  4. pitch — a sports field
  5. press — newspapers
  6. pitch — a sales talk
  7. land — a country
  8. press — a publisher
  9. pitch — completely
  10. fall — the season
  11. snap — to snap out of it
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. net — in sport
  14. net — for catching
  15. track — a path
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. fall — to drop
  19. snap — to click
  20. track — to keep track
  21. fall — to drop
  22. track — a song
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. land — to come down

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