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 120 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: rush · last · court · mouse · nail · snap · pop · fine

  1. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  2. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  3. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  4. False peace will not ________________.
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. The ball is in your ________________.
  14. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  22. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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. snap — to click
  3. court — of a king
  4. last — to go on
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. pop — music
  7. pop — to visit
  8. pop — soda
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. court — for sport
  14. court — of law
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. rush — hurry
  17. fine — all right
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. fine — high quality
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. last — finally
  22. last — final
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. nail — for a hammer

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