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: cell · swing · straw · snap · present · spell · net · bore

  1. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  2. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  14. David sat on the ________________.
  15. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  16. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  24. He was locked up in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. present — there
  3. straw — a straw man
  4. net — for catching
  5. cell — a phone
  6. present — a gift
  7. bore — to drill
  8. snap — to click
  9. net — after costs
  10. present — the time now
  11. straw — to clutch at straws
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. snap — to speak sharply
  14. swing — to play on
  15. snap — to snap out of it
  16. cell — in biology
  17. spell — a short time
  18. swing — music
  19. bore — to tire
  20. swing — in golf
  21. net — in sport
  22. spell — magic
  23. spell — letters
  24. cell — in a prison

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