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 116 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. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  2. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  3. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  16. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  17. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  18. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  19. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  20. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  21. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  24. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.

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

Answer key

  1. object — a thing
  2. snap — to click
  3. wound — an injury
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. snap — to speak sharply
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. bat — in an idiom
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. wound — an injury
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. deal — to handle
  13. wound — past of 'wind'
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. bat — for baseball
  16. object — an aim
  17. rule — to rule out
  18. rule — a law
  19. object — to protest
  20. dip — to dunk
  21. rule — government
  22. dip — to sink
  23. snap — to snap out of it
  24. bat — the animal

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