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 116 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: kid · mug · pop · snap · rest · wake · craft · plane

  1. We're almost out of ________________.
  2. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  8. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  9. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  10. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  11. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. Where did you ________________ them?
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  23. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — soda
  2. craft — a skill
  3. rest — a break
  4. snap — to speak sharply
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. rest — what's left
  7. pop — music
  8. plane — a tool
  9. craft — boats
  10. snap — to click
  11. snap — to snap out of it
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. wake — a trail
  14. mug — a cup
  15. rest — what's left
  16. mug — to rob
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  19. pop — to visit
  20. kid — to tease
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. craft — a handicraft
  23. kid — child
  24. mug — a face

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