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. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  12. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  13. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  18. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  24. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to speak sharply
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. object — a thing
  6. rest — what's left
  7. snap — to snap out of it
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. rest — what's left
  11. dip — a sauce
  12. band — a music group
  13. band — a ring
  14. rest — a break
  15. object — an aim
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. object — to protest
  18. snap — to click
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. plane — a tool
  21. sharp — clever
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. dip — to sink
  24. band — a rubber band

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