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: wake · present · snap · bear · lean · rash · rule · trunk

  1. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  7. Don't do anything ________________.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  12. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  19. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  24. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.

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. wake — a trail
  3. present — there
  4. rule — to rule out
  5. present — the time now
  6. rule — government
  7. rash — hasty
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. lean — to bend
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. snap — to click
  12. snap — to speak sharply
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. bear — the animal
  15. lean — thin
  16. trunk — of a tree
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. present — a gift
  19. rule — a law
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. bear — the animal
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  24. rash — a series

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