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. False peace will not ________________.
  3. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  4. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  5. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  8. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  9. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  21. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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. last — to go on
  3. fall — to drop
  4. object — a thing
  5. fork — in a road
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. fall — to drop
  8. fork — to eat with
  9. last — final
  10. wake — a trail
  11. object — to protest
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. snap — to click
  15. object — an aim
  16. fork — a garden tool
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. pass — a permit
  20. last — finally
  21. snap — to speak sharply
  22. plane — a tool
  23. fall — the season
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

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