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. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  2. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. He was locked up in a ________________.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. False peace will not ________________.
  17. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  20. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  23. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  24. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — music
  2. snap — to click
  3. rock — a stone
  4. tube — a container
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. cell — in a prison
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. branch — a division
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. rush — hurry
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. last — to go on
  17. last — finally
  18. tube — the underground
  19. last — final
  20. cell — in biology
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. snap — to speak sharply
  23. cell — a phone
  24. snap — to snap out of it

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