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. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  21. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to click
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. rush — hurry
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. pop — to visit
  7. snap — to snap out of it
  8. bore — to drill
  9. pop — music
  10. perch — the fish
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. ball — a dance
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. fork — to eat with
  15. pop — soda
  16. lean — to bend
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. fork — a garden tool
  19. lean — thin
  20. snap — to speak sharply
  21. fork — in a road
  22. ball — a great time
  23. bore — to tire
  24. rush — a thrill

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