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'll be taking the ________________.
  2. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  7. False peace will not ________________.
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  10. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  11. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  12. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  19. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  20. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — the underground
  2. snap — to click
  3. mate — a partner
  4. spell — magic
  5. spell — letters
  6. snap — to speak sharply
  7. last — to go on
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. straw — a straw man
  10. straw — to clutch at straws
  11. last — final
  12. straw — dry grass
  13. bound — tied together
  14. last — finally
  15. bound — obliged
  16. bound — certain
  17. spell — a short time
  18. snap — to snap out of it
  19. tube — a container
  20. mate — a friend
  21. mark — a trace
  22. mate — to breed
  23. mark — a grade
  24. mark — to pay attention

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