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. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  12. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  13. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  21. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  22. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  24. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to click
  2. bore — to drill
  3. craft — boats
  4. saw — the tool
  5. snap — to speak sharply
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. craft — a handicraft
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. cue — a signal
  10. rush — hurry
  11. chest — of your body
  12. chest — of your body
  13. bark — to shout
  14. saw — the tool
  15. snap — to snap out of it
  16. bore — to tire
  17. cue — a hint
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. bark — of a tree
  21. chest — a box
  22. cue — for pool
  23. craft — a skill
  24. bark — a dog's sound

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