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 116 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 would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  7. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  8. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. Where did you ________________ them?
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  19. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  20. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  24. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — a break
  2. can — to be able to
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. can — a tin
  6. bat — in an idiom
  7. snap — to click
  8. mug — a cup
  9. saw — the tool
  10. mug — to rob
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. can — a tin
  13. rest — what's left
  14. bat — for baseball
  15. rest — what's left
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. snap — to snap out of it
  19. mug — a face
  20. bat — the animal
  21. saw — the tool
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. ruler — a monarch
  24. snap — to speak sharply

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