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. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  7. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  23. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  24. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to click
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. content — the amount
  4. cue — for pool
  5. prune — to trim
  6. club — for golf
  7. snap — to speak sharply
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. deal — a big deal
  10. deal — to handle
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. club — a group
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. cue — a signal
  16. prune — the fruit
  17. prune — to trim
  18. snap — to snap out of it
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. branch — a division
  21. cue — a hint
  22. content — happy
  23. content — videos and posts
  24. club — for dancing

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