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. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. There's no middle ________________.
  5. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  8. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  9. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  13. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  14. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  15. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  16. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to speak sharply
  2. bulb — for light
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. ground — a position
  5. band — a ring
  6. bear — the animal
  7. bat — the animal
  8. band — a rubber band
  9. ground — the earth
  10. bulb — for light
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. snap — to click
  13. ground — crushed
  14. bat — in an idiom
  15. band — a music group
  16. snap — to snap out of it
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. bear — the animal
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. bat — for baseball
  24. bear — to put up with

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