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: staff · track · rule · squash · fine · snap · rash · tear

  1. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  2. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  11. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  12. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  13. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  17. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  18. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  19. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  20. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  24. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to click
  2. staff — employees
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. tear — from crying
  5. squash — the sport
  6. rule — to rule out
  7. track — to keep track
  8. rule — government
  9. track — a path
  10. staff — a stick
  11. staff — employees
  12. snap — to speak sharply
  13. snap — to snap out of it
  14. fine — high quality
  15. fine — all right
  16. tear — to rip
  17. squash — to crush
  18. rash — a series
  19. squash — the vegetable
  20. tear — from crying
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. track — a song
  23. rule — a law
  24. rash — hasty

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