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 · pop · squash · coach · bear · row · snap · lash

  1. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  2. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. You don't need to ________________ round.
  21. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  22. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to click
  2. pop — soda
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. row — a quarrel
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. pop — music
  7. squash — the sport
  8. snap — to snap out of it
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. bear — the animal
  11. pit — a hole
  12. snap — to speak sharply
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. squash — the vegetable
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. row — to paddle
  17. pit — in a race
  18. row — a line
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. pop — to visit
  21. squash — to crush
  22. bear — the animal
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. lash — to lash out

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