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. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  2. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  7. False peace will not ________________.
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  13. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  14. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. My father caught me by the ________________.
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  24. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.

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

Answer key

  1. last — finally
  2. snap — to click
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. stock — shares
  6. prune — the fruit
  7. last — to go on
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. snap — to speak sharply
  10. prune — to trim
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. stock — goods
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. last — final
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. deal — to handle
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. prune — to trim
  23. snap — to snap out of it
  24. arm — a part of something

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