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 120 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: rule · pound · wave · object · row · snap · lean · content

  1. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  2. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  3. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  4. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  7. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  8. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  15. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  16. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  17. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  18. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  19. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  22. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  24. Check the label for the sugar ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to speak sharply
  2. snap — to snap out of it
  3. pound — to hit hard
  4. content — happy
  5. lean — thin
  6. content — videos and posts
  7. pound — a weight
  8. pound — for dogs
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. rule — a law
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. row — a line
  13. lean — to bend
  14. object — a thing
  15. rule — to rule out
  16. object — an aim
  17. row — to paddle
  18. snap — to click
  19. row — a quarrel
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. object — to protest
  22. rule — government
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  24. content — the amount

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