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. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  2. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  12. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  22. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.

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. clip — to cut
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. saw — the tool
  6. suit — to fit
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. suit — clothes
  9. snap — to speak sharply
  10. dip — to sink
  11. file — a tool
  12. file — a document
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. saw — the tool
  16. file — a line of people
  17. snap — to click
  18. suit — in cards
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. rush — hurry
  21. clip — for paper
  22. clip — a video
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. dip — to dunk

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