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. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  2. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  5. He was locked up in a ________________.
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  8. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  12. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  22. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  23. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  24. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to click
  2. snap — to snap out of it
  3. snap — to speak sharply
  4. rule — to rule out
  5. cell — in a prison
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. cell — a phone
  8. toast — bread
  9. net — after costs
  10. net — for catching
  11. rule — a law
  12. toast — the most admired
  13. scale — size or range
  14. rest — what's left
  15. cell — in biology
  16. rest — what's left
  17. pass — a permit
  18. toast — a drink to someone
  19. net — in sport
  20. rest — a break
  21. rule — government
  22. scale — in music
  23. scale — for weighing
  24. pass — to succeed

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