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: chair · can · wave · cell · fine · root · game · snap

  1. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  2. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. That was a fun ________________.
  13. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  18. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  19. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. He was locked up in a ________________.
  23. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  24. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to click
  2. root — of a word
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. snap — to snap out of it
  5. can — a tin
  6. cell — a phone
  7. root — of a plant
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. snap — to speak sharply
  10. can — a tin
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. game — a match
  13. chair — a professorship
  14. fine — all right
  15. chair — to sit on
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. cell — in biology
  18. game — a kind of play
  19. chair — a leader
  20. can — to be able to
  21. fine — high quality
  22. cell — in a prison
  23. root — the cause
  24. game — wild animals

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