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. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  2. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  16. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  17. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  20. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  21. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  22. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  23. When was this ________________ built?
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to snap out of it
  2. snap — to speak sharply
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. net — for catching
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. snap — to click
  8. lean — thin
  9. march — the month
  10. lie — to recline
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. net — after costs
  14. net — in sport
  15. march — music
  16. vault — an arched ceiling
  17. vault — a safe
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. temple — side of the head
  20. march — the month
  21. vault — in gymnastics
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. lean — to bend

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