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 116 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: drill · firm · pit · degree · club · kick · snap · bank

  1. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  2. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  7. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  8. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  12. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  13. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  14. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  17. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  19. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  22. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  23. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  24. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. drill — a practice
  3. firm — steady
  4. kick — with a leg
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. snap — to speak sharply
  7. kick — a thrill
  8. degree — temperature
  9. pit — a hole
  10. bank — for money
  11. kick — in football
  12. drill — the tool
  13. degree — an amount
  14. snap — to snap out of it
  15. pit — in a race
  16. snap — to click
  17. club — for dancing
  18. firm — decided
  19. degree — from a university
  20. bank — for money
  21. firm — a company
  22. drill — army training
  23. club — for golf
  24. club — a group

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