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. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  2. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  20. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  21. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  22. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — music
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. snap — to speak sharply
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. rest — a break
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. firm — decided
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. face — to point toward
  10. rest — what's left
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. snap — to snap out of it
  13. snap — to click
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. firm — a company
  17. face — to confront
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. rest — what's left
  20. face — part of the head
  21. wake — a trail
  22. firm — steady
  23. sharp — clever
  24. rock — a stone

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