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: net · band · snap · mine · racket · rock · mate · march

  1. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  2. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  4. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  10. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  18. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  21. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  22. Have you found your soul ________________?
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. He was blown up by a land ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. mate — to breed
  3. march — the month
  4. snap — to click
  5. net — after costs
  6. band — a rubber band
  7. mate — a friend
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. snap — to snap out of it
  10. march — music
  11. net — in sport
  12. net — for catching
  13. racket — a loud noise
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. mine — for digging
  16. rock — a stone
  17. band — a ring
  18. snap — to speak sharply
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. band — a music group
  21. mine — belonging to me
  22. mate — a partner
  23. rock — music
  24. mine — an explosive

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