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: snap · land · bay · safe · club · bass · fan · leaves

  1. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  2. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  3. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  4. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  7. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  21. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. When are we going to ________________?
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to click
  2. land — a country
  3. club — for dancing
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. snap — to snap out of it
  7. club — for golf
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. bass — low music
  12. bass — the fish
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. club — a group
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. snap — to speak sharply
  21. land — ground
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. land — to come down
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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