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. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  2. Where did you ________________ them?
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  7. False peace will not ________________.
  8. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  11. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  12. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  13. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  14. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  15. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  16. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  21. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  24. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — help
  2. mug — to rob
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. scale — in music
  6. snap — to snap out of it
  7. last — to go on
  8. last — finally
  9. bulb — for light
  10. scale — size or range
  11. hand — in cards
  12. snap — to speak sharply
  13. mug — a cup
  14. clip — for paper
  15. clip — a video
  16. snap — to click
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. clip — to cut
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. mug — a face
  21. wave — a sudden rise
  22. bulb — for light
  23. last — final
  24. wave — of the sea

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