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. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  2. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  7. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  11. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  16. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  17. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  20. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  23. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  24. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — a coil
  2. present — a gift
  3. snap — to click
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. bass — the fish
  6. spring — of water
  7. snap — to snap out of it
  8. present — there
  9. pit — in a race
  10. row — to paddle
  11. fall — to drop
  12. present — the time now
  13. bass — low music
  14. pit — a hole
  15. fine — high quality
  16. row — a line
  17. spring — the season
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. fall — the season
  20. pit — a fruit stone
  21. fine — all right
  22. row — a quarrel
  23. snap — to speak sharply
  24. fall — to drop

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