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. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  19. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. False peace will not ________________.
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. snap — to snap out of it
  4. rush — hurry
  5. prune — to trim
  6. snap — to click
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. last — final
  9. spell — a short time
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. spell — magic
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. stand — to bear
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. spell — letters
  18. last — finally
  19. pitch — a sales talk
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. pitch — completely
  22. last — to go on
  23. prune — to trim
  24. mouse — the animal

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