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. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  2. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  20. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  21. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  22. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  23. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to click
  2. tube — the underground
  3. mate — to breed
  4. object — to protest
  5. charge — electricity
  6. mate — a friend
  7. tube — a container
  8. bark — a dog's sound
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. snap — to snap out of it
  13. charge — a price
  14. charge — in control
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. object — an aim
  17. mate — a partner
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. snap — to speak sharply
  20. pitch — completely
  21. bark — to shout
  22. object — a thing
  23. bark — of a tree
  24. rush — hurry

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