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

  1. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  2. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  7. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  10. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to speak sharply
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. staff — employees
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. rock — music
  6. jam — in traffic
  7. snap — to click
  8. mark — a trace
  9. snap — to snap out of it
  10. jam — a tight spot
  11. deal — to handle
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. jam — to spread on bread
  14. rock — a stone
  15. staff — a stick
  16. mark — a grade
  17. staff — employees
  18. rock — to move gently

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