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. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  7. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  18. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  23. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  24. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to click
  2. bass — low music
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. bore — to drill
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. capital — money
  7. hand — help
  8. mark — a grade
  9. bass — the fish
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. capital — a city
  12. plane — a tool
  13. capital — a big letter
  14. bore — to tire
  15. snap — to snap out of it
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. hand — part of the body
  18. hand — in cards
  19. mark — a trace
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. snap — to speak sharply
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. patient — calm and waiting

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