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 seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  6. We're almost out of ________________.
  7. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  10. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  11. False peace will not ________________.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. You don't need to ________________ round.
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  19. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  23. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  24. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to speak sharply
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. pop — music
  5. straw — dry grass
  6. pop — soda
  7. band — a rubber band
  8. rash — hasty
  9. last — finally
  10. straw — a straw man
  11. last — to go on
  12. charge — a price
  13. charge — in control
  14. pop — to visit
  15. charge — electricity
  16. last — final
  17. snap — to click
  18. band — a ring
  19. straw — to clutch at straws
  20. saw — the tool
  21. saw — the tool
  22. band — a music group
  23. rash — a series
  24. snap — to snap out of it

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