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 116 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. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  4. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  5. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  6. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. That was a fun ________________.
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. Where did you ________________ them?
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  19. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  20. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — part of the body
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. bat — the animal
  4. snap — to speak sharply
  5. game — wild animals
  6. snap — to snap out of it
  7. rock — a stone
  8. mug — a cup
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. rock — music
  12. game — a match
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. bat — for baseball
  15. hand — help
  16. mug — to rob
  17. charge — in control
  18. mug — a face
  19. bat — in an idiom
  20. hand — in cards
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. charge — a price
  23. charge — electricity
  24. snap — to click

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