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: swing · row · tube · snap · prune · object · mine · ground

  1. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  2. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  3. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  4. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  10. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  11. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. David sat on the ________________.
  16. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  19. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. There's no middle ________________.
  22. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  23. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  24. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to speak sharply
  2. mine — an explosive
  3. object — an aim
  4. prune — to trim
  5. tube — the underground
  6. swing — music
  7. ground — the earth
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. swing — in golf
  10. object — to protest
  11. row — a quarrel
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. mine — belonging to me
  14. prune — to trim
  15. swing — to play on
  16. row — to paddle
  17. snap — to click
  18. row — a line
  19. ground — crushed
  20. tube — a container
  21. ground — a position
  22. object — a thing
  23. mine — for digging
  24. snap — to snap out of it

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