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. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  2. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  3. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  4. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  5. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  6. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. We're on a ________________ here.
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  13. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  14. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  15. Did you ________________ the button?
  16. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. There's no middle ________________.
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  24. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — of water
  2. snap — to snap out of it
  3. roll — a cake
  4. ground — the earth
  5. spring — a coil
  6. snap — to click
  7. press — a publisher
  8. roll — on a roll
  9. rash — a series
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. ground — crushed
  13. roll — a list
  14. spring — the season
  15. press — to push
  16. press — newspapers
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. rash — hasty
  19. ground — a position
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. rash — on the skin
  24. wake — a trail

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