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 116 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: charge · bound · hand · file · stem · key · snap · squash

  1. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  2. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  3. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  8. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  9. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  24. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to click
  2. hand — in cards
  3. snap — to snap out of it
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. key — in music
  7. file — a document
  8. file — a line of people
  9. hand — help
  10. squash — the sport
  11. charge — electricity
  12. charge — in control
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. key — for a lock
  15. bound — obliged
  16. file — a tool
  17. bound — certain
  18. key — the most important part
  19. snap — to speak sharply
  20. charge — a price
  21. stem — to come from
  22. bound — tied together
  23. hand — part of the body
  24. squash — to crush

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