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. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  2. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  7. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  11. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  14. Don't do anything ________________.
  15. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  16. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  17. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  18. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  21. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  24. I seem to be developing a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — steady
  2. snap — to click
  3. row — to paddle
  4. root — of a plant
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. row — a line
  7. snap — to speak sharply
  8. saw — the tool
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. row — a quarrel
  11. rash — a series
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. firm — a company
  14. rash — hasty
  15. chair — a professorship
  16. snap — to snap out of it
  17. root — of a word
  18. chair — a leader
  19. saw — the tool
  20. chair — to sit on
  21. firm — decided
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. root — the cause
  24. rash — on the skin

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