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: squash · nail · net · bowl · field · snap · bay · dip

  1. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  2. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. My mare is ________________ in color.
  21. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  24. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to speak sharply
  2. bay — to keep at bay
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. squash — to crush
  5. net — for catching
  6. field — farmland
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. field — for sport
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. field — a subject
  11. dip — to sink
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. squash — the sport
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. squash — the vegetable
  17. snap — to click
  18. net — after costs
  19. net — in sport
  20. bay — a horse colour
  21. snap — to snap out of it
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. bowl — a dish
  24. bowl — a football final

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