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. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  2. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  3. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  4. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  8. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  20. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  21. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  22. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  23. When was this ________________ built?
  24. You can't go backstage without a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to speak sharply
  2. snap — to click
  3. snap — to snap out of it
  4. bat — for baseball
  5. rush — hurry
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. bat — the animal
  8. wound — an injury
  9. pop — to visit
  10. wound — past of 'wind'
  11. pop — soda
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. temple — side of the head
  15. rock — music
  16. rock — a stone
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. pop — music
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. bat — in an idiom
  21. pass — to spend time
  22. wound — an injury
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. pass — a permit

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