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 124 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. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  5. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  13. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  14. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  23. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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. plane — in geometry
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. pound — to hit hard
  5. snap — to speak sharply
  6. pop — music
  7. pound — a weight
  8. craft — a skill
  9. pop — soda
  10. rest — a break
  11. pop — to visit
  12. craft — a handicraft
  13. capital — a big letter
  14. pound — for dogs
  15. craft — boats
  16. rest — what's left
  17. rest — what's left
  18. snap — to click
  19. plane — a tool
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. capital — a city
  23. capital — money
  24. fan — to cool the air

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