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. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  2. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  13. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. My father caught me by the ________________.
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  20. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. snap — to click
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. snap — to speak sharply
  5. pop — to visit
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. lean — thin
  9. track — a path
  10. squash — the vegetable
  11. track — to keep track
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. arm — a part of something
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. snap — to snap out of it
  18. lean — to bend
  19. squash — the sport
  20. trunk — of a tree
  21. pop — soda
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. track — a song
  24. pop — music

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