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. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  2. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  3. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  7. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  8. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  20. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  21. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  24. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. hand — help
  3. fall — the season
  4. hand — in cards
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. hand — part of the body
  7. snap — to speak sharply
  8. snap — to snap out of it
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. jam — to spread on bread
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. rock — music
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. jam — in traffic
  16. rock — a stone
  17. fall — to drop
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. cue — a signal
  20. snap — to click
  21. jam — a tight spot
  22. sharp — clever
  23. cue — a hint
  24. cue — for pool

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