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. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  5. We're on a ________________ here.
  6. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  24. The train ________________ at six o'clock.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. snap — to speak sharply
  5. roll — on a roll
  6. snap — to snap out of it
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. roll — a list
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. net — after costs
  13. roll — a cake
  14. pass — a permit
  15. snap — to click
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. net — in sport
  20. saw — the tool
  21. saw — the tool
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. net — for catching
  24. leaves — to go away

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