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: lean · rock · roll · safe · snap · bass · tear · pound

  1. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  3. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  4. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. We're on a ________________ here.
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  18. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  19. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  20. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  21. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  22. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. snap — to speak sharply
  3. snap — to snap out of it
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. roll — on a roll
  7. bass — low music
  8. bass — the fish
  9. pound — to hit hard
  10. lean — to bend
  11. safe — a strongbox
  12. rock — a stone
  13. roll — a list
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. rock — music
  17. tear — from crying
  18. tear — to rip
  19. roll — a cake
  20. tear — from crying
  21. snap — to click
  22. pound — for dogs
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. pound — a weight

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