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. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  12. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  24. I would like to have a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to click
  2. rest — what's left
  3. snap — to snap out of it
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. snap — to speak sharply
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. bear — the animal
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. rest — what's left
  12. hand — in cards
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. hand — help
  15. band — a music group
  16. fine — all right
  17. band — a rubber band
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. bear — the animal
  20. fine — high quality
  21. band — a ring
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. hand — part of the body
  24. rest — a break

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