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. Don't do anything ________________.
  2. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  7. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  10. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  11. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  18. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  21. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  22. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — hasty
  2. foot — the bottom
  3. bound — tied together
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. bound — obliged
  6. foot — part of the body
  7. rash — a series
  8. bound — certain
  9. row — to paddle
  10. foot — a measure
  11. snap — to snap out of it
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. hand — in cards
  16. track — a song
  17. row — a line
  18. row — a quarrel
  19. track — to keep track
  20. hand — part of the body
  21. snap — to speak sharply
  22. hand — help
  23. track — a path
  24. snap — to click

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