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. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  2. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  24. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to speak sharply
  2. snap — to snap out of it
  3. pop — music
  4. scale — for weighing
  5. pop — to visit
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. band — a music group
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. scale — in music
  10. bore — to drill
  11. pop — soda
  12. rush — hurry
  13. band — a ring
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. scale — size or range
  16. bore — to tire
  17. bore — gave birth
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. tube — the underground
  22. tube — a container
  23. band — a rubber band
  24. snap — to click

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