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

Word bank: mate · file · snap · wind · calf · club

  1. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  2. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  4. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  7. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  8. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  9. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  18. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to click
  2. mate — to breed
  3. wind — moving air
  4. club — for golf
  5. mate — a friend
  6. club — a group
  7. file — a line of people
  8. snap — to snap out of it
  9. file — a document
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. file — a tool
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. snap — to speak sharply
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. club — for dancing
  16. mate — a partner
  17. wind — to turn a key
  18. wind — moving air

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