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 · trunk · lean · mug · wave · rock · date · roll

  1. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  2. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  3. Have you settled on a ________________?
  4. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  5. Where did you ________________ them?
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  19. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  20. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. We're on a ________________ here.
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a cake
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. snap — to click
  5. mug — to rob
  6. lean — to bend
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. wave — with your hand
  9. lean — thin
  10. date — the fruit
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. snap — to snap out of it
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. mug — a face
  15. rock — music
  16. trunk — of an elephant
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. mug — a cup
  19. roll — a list
  20. trunk — of a tree
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. roll — on a roll
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  24. rock — a stone

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