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: wind · snap · dip · vault · net · mouse · hand · rule

  1. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  6. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  7. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  19. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  20. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  21. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  22. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  23. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  24. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. net — after costs
  3. net — for catching
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. snap — to speak sharply
  6. hand — help
  7. wind — to turn a key
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. snap — to click
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. dip — to sink
  12. wind — moving air
  13. net — in sport
  14. hand — in cards
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. rule — a law
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. hand — part of the body
  19. vault — in gymnastics
  20. rule — to rule out
  21. vault — a safe
  22. snap — to snap out of it
  23. rule — government
  24. wind — moving air

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