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. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  2. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. My father caught me by the ________________.
  6. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  9. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  10. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  11. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  12. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  13. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  14. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  19. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  20. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  21. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  22. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  23. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  24. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to click
  2. fall — the season
  3. fork — in a road
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. fall — to drop
  7. suit — to fit
  8. bark — a dog's sound
  9. file — a tool
  10. file — a document
  11. file — a line of people
  12. suit — in cards
  13. snap — to speak sharply
  14. bark — of a tree
  15. stand — to bear
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. bark — to shout
  18. suit — clothes
  19. fork — a garden tool
  20. fall — to drop
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. fork — to eat with
  23. arm — a part of something
  24. snap — to snap out of it

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