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. How do you ________________ your surname?
  2. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  19. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  20. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  24. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — letters
  2. track — a path
  3. snap — to snap out of it
  4. chip — to eat
  5. bound — obliged
  6. track — to keep track
  7. bound — certain
  8. spell — a short time
  9. snap — to click
  10. track — a song
  11. chest — a box
  12. rush — hurry
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. spell — magic
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. chest — of your body
  19. foot — a measure
  20. snap — to speak sharply
  21. chip — for betting
  22. bound — tied together
  23. foot — the bottom
  24. chest — of your body

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