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. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  7. Where did you ________________ them?
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  13. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  14. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  15. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  20. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  21. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  22. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  23. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  24. The water is too ________________.

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. mug — a cup
  3. bear — the animal
  4. vault — a safe
  5. charge — electricity
  6. mug — a face
  7. mug — to rob
  8. craft — boats
  9. bear — the animal
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. charge — in control
  12. snap — to click
  13. cold — the Cold War
  14. vault — an arched ceiling
  15. cold — an illness
  16. charge — a price
  17. craft — a skill
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. vault — in gymnastics
  20. bark — to shout
  21. bark — a dog's sound
  22. snap — to speak sharply
  23. bark — of a tree
  24. cold — not warm

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