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. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  2. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  10. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  11. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  19. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  20. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  23. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  24. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to click
  2. toast — a drink to someone
  3. current — happening now
  4. snap — to speak sharply
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. current — of water
  7. bark — a dog's sound
  8. cap — a lid
  9. club — for golf
  10. club — for dancing
  11. bark — to shout
  12. mark — a grade
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. cap — of ice
  15. current — electric
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. mark — a trace
  18. cap — a hat
  19. bark — of a tree
  20. toast — bread
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. snap — to snap out of it
  23. club — a group
  24. toast — the most admired

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