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 116 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: mine · lean · wave · snap · cell · rest · rule · fan

  1. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  2. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. He was locked up in a ________________.
  15. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. She's sitting on a gold ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to snap out of it
  2. wave — a sudden rise
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. rule — to rule out
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. snap — to click
  7. rest — a break
  8. rule — government
  9. rest — what's left
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. cell — a phone
  12. rest — what's left
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. cell — in a prison
  15. rule — a law
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. lean — to bend
  20. lean — thin
  21. cell — in biology
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. mine — for digging

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