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. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  3. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  4. False peace will not ________________.
  5. When will it ________________ you to start?
  6. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  7. When are we going to ________________?
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  10. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  11. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  12. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  13. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  14. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  22. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  23. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  24. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.

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. pass — to spend time
  3. snap — to click
  4. last — to go on
  5. suit — to fit
  6. land — ground
  7. land — to come down
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. degree — an amount
  10. snap — to speak sharply
  11. kick — in football
  12. degree — from a university
  13. last — finally
  14. kick — with a leg
  15. pass — a permit
  16. key — in music
  17. suit — in cards
  18. key — the most important part
  19. suit — clothes
  20. key — for a lock
  21. kick — a thrill
  22. last — final
  23. degree — temperature
  24. land — a country

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