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. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  2. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  10. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  11. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  12. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  20. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  21. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  22. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  23. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  24. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to snap out of it
  2. bank — for money
  3. snap — to click
  4. cap — of ice
  5. craft — boats
  6. plane — a tool
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. bank — of a river
  9. hand — part of the body
  10. cap — a lid
  11. hand — in cards
  12. tear — from crying
  13. bank — for money
  14. snap — to speak sharply
  15. cap — a hat
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. hand — help
  20. craft — a skill
  21. tear — from crying
  22. tear — to rip
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. patient — calm and waiting

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