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. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  2. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  9. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  21. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  22. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to speak sharply
  2. row — to paddle
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. row — a line
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. current — of water
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. snap — to snap out of it
  10. current — electric
  11. safe — a strongbox
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. bat — for baseball
  15. current — happening now
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. row — a quarrel
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. bat — in an idiom
  21. snap — to click
  22. bat — the animal
  23. wake — a trail
  24. sharp — clever

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