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: cabinet · wound · bark · date · pass · fall · ruler · snap

  1. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  2. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  3. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  4. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  5. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  8. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  9. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  12. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  15. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  16. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  17. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  19. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  20. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  21. Have you settled on a ________________?
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  24. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to click
  2. snap — to snap out of it
  3. fall — to drop
  4. bark — of a tree
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. pass — a permit
  8. wound — past of 'wind'
  9. snap — to speak sharply
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. bark — a dog's sound
  12. bark — to shout
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. wound — an injury
  15. pass — to succeed
  16. date — the fruit
  17. fall — to drop
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. wound — an injury
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. fall — the season
  24. ruler — a monarch

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