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. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  5. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  9. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  10. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  11. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  18. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  21. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  22. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  23. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  24. Check the label for the sugar ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to speak sharply
  2. charge — in control
  3. wake — a trail
  4. hand — help
  5. race — humankind
  6. charge — a price
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. content — happy
  9. drill — the tool
  10. race — the arms race
  11. content — videos and posts
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. snap — to click
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. charge — electricity
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. drill — army training
  18. hand — in cards
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. pitch — completely
  21. snap — to snap out of it
  22. drill — a practice
  23. race — a contest
  24. content — the amount

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