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. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  5. We're on a ________________ here.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  9. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  10. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  11. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  12. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  13. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  14. Where did you ________________ them?
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  17. When was this ________________ built?
  18. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  21. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  22. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  23. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  24. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.

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. land — a country
  3. mug — a cup
  4. fall — the season
  5. roll — on a roll
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. board — to get on
  8. fall — to drop
  9. fall — to drop
  10. row — to paddle
  11. snap — to speak sharply
  12. row — a quarrel
  13. land — ground
  14. mug — to rob
  15. land — to come down
  16. temple — side of the head
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. roll — a cake
  19. board — a committee
  20. snap — to click
  21. roll — a list
  22. mug — a face
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. row — a line

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