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. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  2. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  3. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  6. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  7. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  8. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  9. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  10. My father caught me by the ________________.
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  13. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  20. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  21. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.

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. arm — part of the body
  3. prune — to trim
  4. suit — to fit
  5. arm — a part of something
  6. pass — to succeed
  7. file — a document
  8. file — a tool
  9. file — a line of people
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. pass — a permit
  12. prune — to trim
  13. degree — from a university
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. suit — in cards
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. snap — to click
  18. key — in music
  19. suit — clothes
  20. degree — an amount
  21. degree — temperature
  22. key — for a lock
  23. key — the most important part
  24. snap — to speak sharply

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