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 · kid · bank · hand · lean · file · drill · swing

  1. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  2. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  4. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  5. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  6. David sat on the ________________.
  7. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  8. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  9. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  12. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  13. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  14. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  15. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  16. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  17. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  18. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — in golf
  2. bank — for money
  3. drill — the tool
  4. drill — army training
  5. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  6. swing — to play on
  7. hand — help
  8. drill — a practice
  9. snap — to click
  10. bank — of a river
  11. hand — part of the body
  12. file — a tool
  13. file — a document
  14. snap — to speak sharply
  15. kid — to tease
  16. snap — to snap out of it
  17. kid — child
  18. file — a line of people
  19. lean — to bend
  20. swing — music
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. hand — in cards
  23. bank — for money
  24. lean — thin

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