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: snap · swing · toast · can · pop · rule · lie · nail

  1. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  2. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  3. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  4. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  5. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. David sat on the ________________.
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  22. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  23. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to click
  2. toast — bread
  3. swing — music
  4. snap — to speak sharply
  5. rule — a law
  6. can — to be able to
  7. swing — in golf
  8. can — a tin
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. pop — soda
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. toast — a drink to someone
  15. can — a tin
  16. swing — to play on
  17. pop — music
  18. pop — to visit
  19. rule — to rule out
  20. lie — to recline
  21. rule — government
  22. toast — the most admired
  23. snap — to snap out of it
  24. nail — on a finger

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