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: snap · racket · jam · lie · dip · cold · bound · net

  1. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  2. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  17. The water is too ________________.
  18. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  22. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  23. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  24. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

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

Answer key

  1. net — after costs
  2. cold — an illness
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. snap — to speak sharply
  5. lie — to recline
  6. bound — tied together
  7. cold — the Cold War
  8. net — for catching
  9. jam — to spread on bread
  10. bound — obliged
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. bound — certain
  14. dip — to sink
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. jam — a tight spot
  17. cold — not warm
  18. jam — in traffic
  19. net — in sport
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. racket — a loud noise
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. snap — to snap out of it
  24. snap — to click

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