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: last · snap · field · ruler · file · racket · wave · pop

  1. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  2. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  5. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  6. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  9. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  10. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. False peace will not ________________.
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  19. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  24. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to click
  2. snap — to speak sharply
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. field — a subject
  6. last — finally
  7. pop — to visit
  8. field — farmland
  9. file — a document
  10. field — for sport
  11. pop — soda
  12. last — to go on
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. pop — music
  15. snap — to snap out of it
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. last — final
  19. wave — of the sea
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. file — a tool
  24. file — a line of people

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