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. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  7. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  10. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  11. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  12. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  13. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  20. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  21. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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. rush — hurry
  3. bank — for money
  4. cap — of ice
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. straw — dry grass
  7. bark — to shout
  8. bank — of a river
  9. snap — to click
  10. bark — a dog's sound
  11. club — a group
  12. snap — to speak sharply
  13. club — for dancing
  14. cap — a hat
  15. bank — for money
  16. season — in sport
  17. bark — of a tree
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. club — for golf
  20. straw — a straw man
  21. straw — to clutch at straws
  22. cap — a lid
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. season — of the year

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