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 120 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. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  2. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  4. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  19. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  22. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  23. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  24. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a football final
  2. mate — a partner
  3. snap — to click
  4. tear — from crying
  5. mate — a friend
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. game — wild animals
  8. wake — a trail
  9. snap — to snap out of it
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. tear — from crying
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. tear — to rip
  14. game — a match
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. mate — to breed
  19. club — a group
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. club — for golf
  22. club — for dancing
  23. snap — to speak sharply
  24. bowl — a dish

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