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. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  8. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  19. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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. track — a path
  3. pound — to hit hard
  4. charge — a price
  5. snap — to click
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. wind — to turn a key
  8. pound — a weight
  9. mark — a grade
  10. wind — moving air
  11. track — to keep track
  12. track — a song
  13. wind — moving air
  14. bulb — for light
  15. bulb — for light
  16. pound — for dogs
  17. mark — a trace
  18. snap — to speak sharply
  19. file — a line of people
  20. charge — electricity
  21. file — a document
  22. charge — in control
  23. file — a tool
  24. bulb — of a plant

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