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. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  2. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  7. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  14. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  15. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  16. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  17. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  21. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  22. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  23. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  24. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to click
  2. firm — steady
  3. jam — in traffic
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. snap — to speak sharply
  7. firm — decided
  8. squash — the sport
  9. content — videos and posts
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. perch — the fish
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. jam — a tight spot
  14. chair — a leader
  15. firm — a company
  16. content — the amount
  17. snap — to snap out of it
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. squash — to crush
  21. content — happy
  22. chair — to sit on
  23. jam — to spread on bread
  24. chair — a professorship

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