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 120 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. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  2. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  5. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  6. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to speak sharply
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. vault — a safe
  5. face — part of the head
  6. snap — to snap out of it
  7. face — to confront
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. bound — certain
  11. bass — the fish
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. bass — low music
  14. rush — hurry
  15. snap — to click
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. vault — an arched ceiling
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. face — to point toward
  20. wake — a trail
  21. bound — tied together
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. bass — the instrument
  24. bound — obliged

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