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. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  6. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  7. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  14. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  17. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  18. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  22. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  23. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  24. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to speak sharply
  2. pound — to hit hard
  3. wake — a trail
  4. cap — a hat
  5. hand — help
  6. pound — a weight
  7. row — to paddle
  8. bank — for money
  9. row — a line
  10. bank — for money
  11. cap — of ice
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. row — a quarrel
  14. snap — to click
  15. hand — in cards
  16. hand — part of the body
  17. jam — to spread on bread
  18. jam — in traffic
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. bank — of a river
  21. cap — a lid
  22. pound — for dogs
  23. jam — a tight spot
  24. snap — to snap out of it

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