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. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  6. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  7. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  8. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  21. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  24. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.

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. pitch — a sports field
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. pitch — a sales talk
  6. march — music
  7. snap — to speak sharply
  8. march — the month
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. wax — to grow
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. shower — a meteor shower
  13. prune — to trim
  14. march — the month
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. bound — obliged
  17. shower — to wash
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. bound — tied together
  20. pitch — completely
  21. shower — rain
  22. bound — certain
  23. snap — to click
  24. prune — to trim

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