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. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  2. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  3. Have you settled on a ________________?
  4. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  14. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  15. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  16. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  20. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  21. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  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. chest — a box
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. chest — of your body
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. wound — an injury
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. field — farmland
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. field — for sport
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. date — the fruit
  14. chest — of your body
  15. snap — to click
  16. wound — an injury
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. lie — to recline
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. field — a subject
  21. wound — past of 'wind'
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. mouse — the animal
  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