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. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  7. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  8. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  11. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  12. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  13. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.

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. fine — all right
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. object — a thing
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. object — to protest
  7. face — to point toward
  8. game — a kind of play
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. object — an aim
  11. snap — to speak sharply
  12. snap — to click
  13. face — to confront
  14. fine — high quality
  15. club — for dancing
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. game — wild animals
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. face — part of the head
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. game — a match
  22. club — for golf
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. club — a group

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