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. He was locked up in a ________________.
  2. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  6. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  7. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  10. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  11. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  20. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  24. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in a prison
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. snap — to click
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. swing — music
  6. shower — a meteor shower
  7. shower — rain
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. cell — a phone
  11. snap — to speak sharply
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. wax — to grow
  14. snap — to snap out of it
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. swing — in golf
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. cell — in biology
  20. shower — to wash
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. swing — to play on
  24. ruler — a monarch

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