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. We're almost out of ________________.
  2. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. Where did you ________________ them?
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  21. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  22. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — soda
  2. snap — to click
  3. ball — a dance
  4. ball — a great time
  5. mug — to rob
  6. net — for catching
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. net — after costs
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. tube — a container
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. net — in sport
  14. tube — the underground
  15. pop — music
  16. wake — a trail
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. pop — to visit
  20. mug — a face
  21. snap — to speak sharply
  22. mug — a cup
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. snap — to snap out of it

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