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. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  7. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  13. Where did you ________________ them?
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  24. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to click
  2. lie — to recline
  3. mug — a face
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. snap — to speak sharply
  7. prune — the fruit
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. snap — to snap out of it
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. mug — a cup
  13. mug — to rob
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. saw — the tool
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. prune — to trim
  18. saw — the tool
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. prune — to trim

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