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: foot · can · fall · sharp · lean · rash · wound · snap

  1. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  2. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  3. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  18. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  19. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  20. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  21. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  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. wound — an injury
  2. snap — to click
  3. foot — the bottom
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. can — a tin
  6. rash — hasty
  7. fall — to drop
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. rash — a series
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. sharp — clever
  13. can — to be able to
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. foot — a measure
  16. lean — to bend
  17. wound — past of 'wind'
  18. wound — an injury
  19. fall — to drop
  20. fall — the season
  21. snap — to speak sharply
  22. can — a tin
  23. lean — thin
  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