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. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  3. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  10. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to click
  2. degree — temperature
  3. snap — to snap out of it
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. straw — dry grass
  6. mug — to rob
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. degree — from a university
  10. degree — an amount
  11. bulb — for light
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. mug — a cup
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. snap — to speak sharply
  19. bear — the animal
  20. mug — a face
  21. bulb — for light
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. bear — the animal
  24. bulb — of a plant

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