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: nail · pop · bulb · fine · chest · mine · snap · bound

  1. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  2. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  3. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  4. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. We're almost out of ________________.
  7. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  15. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  23. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — for digging
  2. snap — to snap out of it
  3. snap — to click
  4. mine — belonging to me
  5. bound — tied together
  6. pop — soda
  7. snap — to speak sharply
  8. bulb — for light
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. pop — to visit
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. fine — all right
  14. chest — of your body
  15. fine — high quality
  16. bound — certain
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. pop — music
  19. bound — obliged
  20. chest — of your body
  21. bulb — for light
  22. mine — an explosive
  23. chest — a box
  24. nail — for a hammer

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