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: chip · craft · track · lash · snap · mug · chair · wake

  1. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  2. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  17. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  18. Where did you ________________ them?
  19. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.

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. craft — a skill
  3. chair — to sit on
  4. craft — boats
  5. track — to keep track
  6. chip — to eat
  7. chip — for betting
  8. mug — a cup
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. mug — a face
  12. wake — a trail
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. snap — to click
  17. chair — a professorship
  18. mug — to rob
  19. snap — to speak sharply
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. track — a path
  22. track — a song
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. chair — a leader

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