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. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  19. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  20. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  23. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  24. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to click
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. rest — a break
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. snap — to speak sharply
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. pit — in a race
  14. snap — to snap out of it
  15. rest — what's left
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. hide — animal skin
  19. bay — to keep at bay
  20. shower — to wash
  21. rest — what's left
  22. shower — rain
  23. pit — a hole
  24. shower — a meteor shower

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