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: cell · snap · net · mark · foot · tear · object · dip

  1. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  2. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  4. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  5. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  6. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  7. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  13. He was locked up in a ________________.
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  21. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  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. foot — part of the body
  2. net — in sport
  3. foot — the bottom
  4. object — a thing
  5. tear — from crying
  6. foot — a measure
  7. cell — in biology
  8. mark — a trace
  9. net — for catching
  10. cell — a phone
  11. object — to protest
  12. tear — to rip
  13. cell — in a prison
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. dip — to sink
  16. net — after costs
  17. snap — to click
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. mark — a grade
  20. snap — to snap out of it
  21. tear — from crying
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. object — an aim
  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