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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  2. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  10. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to click
  2. pound — to hit hard
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. season — of the year
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. suit — in cards
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. snap — to speak sharply
  10. pound — for dogs
  11. suit — to fit
  12. snap — to snap out of it
  13. pitch — completely
  14. season — in sport
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. pound — a weight
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. suit — clothes

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