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 116 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. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. Did you ________________ the meat?
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  7. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  17. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  24. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to click
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. season — to add flavour
  4. row — to paddle
  5. deal — to handle
  6. row — a line
  7. trunk — of an elephant
  8. charge — electricity
  9. charge — a price
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. charge — in control
  13. wax — to grow
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. pass — a permit
  17. snap — to snap out of it
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. row — a quarrel
  21. season — in sport
  22. season — of the year
  23. snap — to speak sharply
  24. trunk — of a tree

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