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. You don't need to ________________ round.
  2. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  23. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  24. We're almost out of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — to visit
  2. snap — to speak sharply
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. kick — in football
  5. lean — to bend
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. kick — with a leg
  8. pop — music
  9. row — to paddle
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. snap — to snap out of it
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. bass — the fish
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. lean — thin
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. row — a quarrel
  19. bass — low music
  20. row — a line
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. snap — to click
  23. kick — a thrill
  24. pop — soda

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