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. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  2. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  4. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. The ball is in your ________________.
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. David sat on the ________________.
  19. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  20. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  21. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  24. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to speak sharply
  2. bore — to drill
  3. court — of law
  4. snap — to snap out of it
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. plane — a tool
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. wound — an injury
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. wound — past of 'wind'
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. court — of a king
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. bore — to tire
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. court — for sport
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. swing — to play on
  19. swing — in golf
  20. swing — music
  21. trunk — of a tree
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. snap — to click
  24. wound — an injury

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