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. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  7. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  8. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  11. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  12. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  15. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  20. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  21. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  22. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  24. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.

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. rule — a law
  3. snap — to speak sharply
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. saw — the tool
  6. wind — to turn a key
  7. bat — in an idiom
  8. file — a tool
  9. charge — in control
  10. wind — moving air
  11. bat — the animal
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. charge — electricity
  14. rule — government
  15. snap — to click
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. charge — a price
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. rule — to rule out
  20. file — a line of people
  21. wind — moving air
  22. bat — for baseball
  23. saw — the tool
  24. file — a document

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