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. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  2. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  3. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  6. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  10. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  11. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  12. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  13. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. David sat on the ________________.
  18. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  19. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  20. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  23. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  24. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to snap out of it
  2. jam — to spread on bread
  3. rule — government
  4. rush — hurry
  5. spring — of water
  6. toast — bread
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. jam — a tight spot
  10. snap — to speak sharply
  11. spring — the season
  12. swing — music
  13. spring — a coil
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. snap — to click
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. swing — to play on
  18. rule — a law
  19. toast — a drink to someone
  20. rule — to rule out
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. toast — the most admired
  23. jam — in traffic
  24. swing — in golf

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