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 120 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. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  2. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  13. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. Where did you ________________ them?
  23. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  24. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — belonging to me
  2. snap — to snap out of it
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. wake — a trail
  5. mug — a cup
  6. bound — obliged
  7. mine — for digging
  8. lean — to bend
  9. snap — to click
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. bound — tied together
  12. root — of a word
  13. mine — an explosive
  14. root — the cause
  15. bound — certain
  16. trunk — of a tree
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. root — of a plant
  20. lean — thin
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. mug — to rob
  23. mug — a face
  24. snap — to speak sharply

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