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. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  2. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  4. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  10. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  18. He was locked up in a ________________.
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to click
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. snap — to snap out of it
  4. shower — to wash
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. board — to get on
  9. cell — a phone
  10. shower — a meteor shower
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. ball — a great time
  13. cell — in biology
  14. board — a committee
  15. rest — what's left
  16. bear — the animal
  17. shower — rain
  18. cell — in a prison
  19. rest — what's left
  20. ball — a dance
  21. rest — a break
  22. bear — the animal
  23. snap — to speak sharply
  24. stand — to bear

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