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. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  4. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  5. When was this ________________ built?
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  12. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  13. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  14. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. hand — part of the body
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. temple — side of the head
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. wake — a trail
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. snap — to snap out of it
  13. tear — to rip
  14. snap — to speak sharply
  15. hand — help
  16. tear — from crying
  17. snap — to click
  18. tear — from crying

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