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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: bore · snap · cabinet · wind · wake · cell

  1. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  2. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  7. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. He was locked up in a ________________.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. wind — to turn a key
  3. snap — to speak sharply
  4. bore — to tire
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. cell — a phone
  7. cell — in biology
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. cell — in a prison
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. snap — to click
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. wake — a trail
  15. wind — moving air
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. bore — to drill

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