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. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  2. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  15. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. You don't need to ________________ round.
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to speak sharply
  2. wound — an injury
  3. bulb — for light
  4. ruler — a monarch
  5. scale — in music
  6. bound — tied together
  7. snap — to snap out of it
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. bound — obliged
  10. bound — certain
  11. snap — to click
  12. board — a committee
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. wound — past of 'wind'
  15. wound — an injury
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. scale — size or range
  18. bulb — for light
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. pop — soda
  21. pop — to visit
  22. board — to get on
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. pop — music

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