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 120 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. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  13. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  14. When are we going to ________________?
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  17. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  19. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  22. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to click
  2. snap — to speak sharply
  3. bank — of a river
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. land — ground
  7. bank — for money
  8. season — in sport
  9. snap — to snap out of it
  10. charge — a price
  11. season — of the year
  12. degree — temperature
  13. wound — an injury
  14. land — to come down
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. degree — from a university
  17. wound — an injury
  18. trunk — of an elephant
  19. wound — past of 'wind'
  20. charge — electricity
  21. degree — an amount
  22. land — a country
  23. charge — in control
  24. bank — for money

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