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. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  9. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  10. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  19. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  20. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  24. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to click
  2. root — of a word
  3. can — a tin
  4. scale — for weighing
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. pit — a hole
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. snap — to snap out of it
  9. scale — in music
  10. snap — to speak sharply
  11. can — a tin
  12. hand — help
  13. root — of a plant
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. hand — in cards
  18. bowl — a dish
  19. root — the cause
  20. pit — in a race
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. can — to be able to
  23. scale — size or range
  24. bowl — to roll

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