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. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  23. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  24. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to snap out of it
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. snap — to speak sharply
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. file — a document
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. snap — to click
  8. track — to keep track
  9. track — a song
  10. track — a path
  11. can — a tin
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. can — to be able to
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. bulb — for light
  16. bulb — for light
  17. file — a tool
  18. can — a tin
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. chair — to sit on
  21. deal — to handle
  22. chair — a professorship
  23. chair — a leader
  24. file — a line of people

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