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: pit · snap · prune · kid · bowl · race · stick · mate

  1. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  2. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  9. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  10. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  16. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  17. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  24. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to click
  2. snap — to snap out of it
  3. mate — a partner
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. bowl — to roll
  6. mate — to breed
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. race — humankind
  9. snap — to speak sharply
  10. race — the arms race
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. pit — in a race
  13. prune — to trim
  14. mate — a friend
  15. race — a contest
  16. kid — to tease
  17. prune — to trim
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. bowl — a dish
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. pit — a hole
  23. kid — child
  24. kid — young goat (kid gloves)

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