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: mark · band · mug · spring · leaves · wake · staff · snap

  1. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  4. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  9. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  12. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. Where did you ________________ them?
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  19. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. The old man leaned on his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a music group
  2. mark — a trace
  3. snap — to snap out of it
  4. spring — a coil
  5. mug — a face
  6. staff — employees
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. snap — to click
  9. band — a ring
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. snap — to speak sharply
  12. staff — employees
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. mug — to rob
  15. mark — a grade
  16. mug — a cup
  17. wake — a trail
  18. spring — the season
  19. band — a rubber band
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. spring — of water
  23. leaves — lets stay
  24. staff — a stick

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