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: net · tear · bulb · club · snap · charge · dip · mug

  1. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  2. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  3. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. Where did you ________________ them?
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  19. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  20. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  23. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  24. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to snap out of it
  2. club — a group
  3. tear — from crying
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. tear — to rip
  6. net — in sport
  7. mug — to rob
  8. charge — electricity
  9. tear — from crying
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. club — for dancing
  12. net — for catching
  13. charge — a price
  14. bulb — for light
  15. charge — in control
  16. net — after costs
  17. bulb — for light
  18. mug — a face
  19. dip — to dunk
  20. snap — to speak sharply
  21. dip — to sink
  22. mug — a cup
  23. snap — to click
  24. club — for golf

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