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 shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  4. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  5. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  6. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  12. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  16. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  21. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. rush — hurry
  3. snap — to click
  4. snap — to snap out of it
  5. content — videos and posts
  6. file — a document
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. bore — to drill
  9. stem — of a plant
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. content — happy
  12. content — the amount
  13. bore — to tire
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. file — a line of people
  16. stem — to come from
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. mark — a trace
  19. bulb — for light
  20. snap — to speak sharply
  21. file — a tool
  22. bulb — for light
  23. mark — a grade
  24. stem — a stem cell

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