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. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  3. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  4. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  7. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. He was locked up in a ________________.
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to click
  2. cell — in biology
  3. squash — the sport
  4. pitch — a sports field
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. snap — to snap out of it
  7. snap — to speak sharply
  8. squash — to crush
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. cell — a phone
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. cell — in a prison
  14. can — a tin
  15. pitch — completely
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. mark — a grade
  18. can — a tin
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. can — to be able to
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. dip — to sink
  23. mark — a trace
  24. dip — a sauce

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