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. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  3. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  4. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  5. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  8. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  9. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  12. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  13. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  18. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  19. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  20. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  23. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  24. When was this ________________ built?

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. snap — to click
  3. rule — to rule out
  4. spring — a coil
  5. toast — the most admired
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. toast — bread
  8. spring — the season
  9. snap — to snap out of it
  10. track — a path
  11. rule — government
  12. rule — a law
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. track — a song
  16. lean — to bend
  17. perch — the fish
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. toast — a drink to someone
  20. temple — side of the head
  21. track — to keep track
  22. snap — to speak sharply
  23. spring — of water
  24. temple — a place of worship

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