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: sharp · cell · snap · stand · kid · stick · ball · row

  1. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  2. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  6. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  9. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  13. He was locked up in a ________________.
  14. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  20. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to speak sharply
  2. cell — a phone
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. stand — to bear
  5. row — a line
  6. row — a quarrel
  7. ball — a dance
  8. cell — in biology
  9. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  10. sharp — clever
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. snap — to click
  13. cell — in a prison
  14. snap — to snap out of it
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. kid — to tease
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. stand — for spectators
  20. kid — child
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. row — to paddle
  24. ball — a great time

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