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. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  2. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  3. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  4. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  23. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  24. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to speak sharply
  2. chest — of your body
  3. chest — a box
  4. snap — to click
  5. charge — electricity
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. bound — tied together
  8. snap — to snap out of it
  9. rock — a stone
  10. scale — size or range
  11. wax — to grow
  12. rock — music
  13. scale — in music
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. scale — for weighing
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. chest — of your body
  18. charge — a price
  19. charge — in control
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. bound — certain
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. bound — obliged
  24. safe — out of danger

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