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. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  7. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  8. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  19. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  22. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  23. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  24. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. shower — to wash
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. snap — to click
  5. wake — a trail
  6. chair — a professorship
  7. snap — to speak sharply
  8. chair — a leader
  9. rash — a series
  10. rock — music
  11. kick — in football
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. shower — a meteor shower
  14. rock — a stone
  15. snap — to snap out of it
  16. mark — a trace
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. rash — on the skin
  19. kick — a thrill
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. kick — with a leg
  22. chair — to sit on
  23. shower — rain
  24. rash — hasty

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