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. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  6. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  7. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  8. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  11. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  15. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  16. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  17. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  18. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  19. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  20. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — a permit
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. face — to confront
  5. shower — a meteor shower
  6. snap — to snap out of it
  7. jam — a tight spot
  8. snap — to click
  9. wake — a trail
  10. jam — to spread on bread
  11. face — to point toward
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. snap — to speak sharply
  15. shower — to wash
  16. shower — rain
  17. bark — of a tree
  18. bark — to shout
  19. jam — in traffic
  20. face — part of the head
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. bark — a dog's sound
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. pass — to spend time

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