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: straw · chip · net · roll · snap · racket · can · craft

  1. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  2. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  3. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  8. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  9. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  10. We're on a ________________ here.
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  22. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  24. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to click
  2. roll — a cake
  3. craft — a skill
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. can — to be able to
  7. straw — to clutch at straws
  8. snap — to snap out of it
  9. straw — a straw man
  10. roll — on a roll
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. roll — a list
  13. can — a tin
  14. craft — boats
  15. can — a tin
  16. net — after costs
  17. net — for catching
  18. chip — to eat
  19. straw — dry grass
  20. chip — for betting
  21. racket — a loud noise
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. net — in sport
  24. snap — to speak sharply

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