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 120 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 · net · hand · bear · saw · straw · cue · swing

  1. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  2. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  8. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  9. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  13. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  14. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  15. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. net — after costs
  2. bear — the animal
  3. swing — music
  4. saw — the tool
  5. net — for catching
  6. cue — a hint
  7. straw — to clutch at straws
  8. snap — to snap out of it
  9. snap — to click
  10. net — in sport
  11. hand — help
  12. snap — to speak sharply
  13. swing — in golf
  14. hand — in cards
  15. straw — dry grass
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. straw — a straw man
  18. cue — a signal
  19. bear — the animal
  20. cue — for pool
  21. hand — part of the body
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. swing — to play on
  24. saw — the tool

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