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. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  2. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  5. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  6. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  11. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  12. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  13. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  14. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  15. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  16. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. Where did you ________________ them?
  21. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  22. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  23. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  24. Is it ________________ for us to be here?

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to click
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. fine — all right
  4. band — a ring
  5. band — a music group
  6. straw — to clutch at straws
  7. fine — high quality
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. deal — to handle
  10. mug — a face
  11. snap — to snap out of it
  12. mug — a cup
  13. snap — to speak sharply
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. wound — an injury
  16. band — a rubber band
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. wound — past of 'wind'
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. mug — to rob
  21. straw — dry grass
  22. deal — a big deal
  23. wound — an injury
  24. safe — out of danger

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