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: tube · arm · pop · wound · wave · snap · season · cap

  1. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  2. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  5. My father caught me by the ________________.
  6. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  7. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  10. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  11. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to snap out of it
  2. season — of the year
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. wound — an injury
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. cap — of ice
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. season — in sport
  9. snap — to click
  10. arm — a part of something
  11. wound — past of 'wind'
  12. tube — a container
  13. wound — an injury
  14. cap — a hat
  15. pop — to visit
  16. pop — soda
  17. cap — a lid
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. tube — the underground
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. pop — music
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. snap — to speak sharply
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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