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 120 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 felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  3. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  4. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  7. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  8. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. That was a fun ________________.
  11. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  12. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  16. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. David sat on the ________________.
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to speak sharply
  2. chest — of your body
  3. chest — of your body
  4. snap — to click
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. pound — for dogs
  7. swing — in golf
  8. pound — to hit hard
  9. charge — in control
  10. game — a match
  11. game — a kind of play
  12. swing — music
  13. game — wild animals
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. snap — to snap out of it
  16. pound — a weight
  17. season — of the year
  18. swing — to play on
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. chest — a box
  21. charge — a price
  22. season — in sport
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  24. charge — electricity

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