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: bark · snap · last · wake · kick · can · sharp · scale

  1. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  2. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  5. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  6. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  7. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  17. False peace will not ________________.
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.

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

Answer key

  1. last — finally
  2. snap — to snap out of it
  3. can — to be able to
  4. bark — to shout
  5. kick — with a leg
  6. bark — of a tree
  7. snap — to click
  8. wake — a trail
  9. bark — a dog's sound
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. last — final
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. scale — size or range
  14. can — a tin
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. kick — in football
  17. last — to go on
  18. can — a tin
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. scale — in music
  23. sharp — clever
  24. scale — for weighing

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