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: bear · snap · rock · saw · lie · pound · can · court

  1. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. The ball is in your ________________.
  6. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  7. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  8. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. snap — to click
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. lie — to recline
  5. court — for sport
  6. pound — a weight
  7. snap — to snap out of it
  8. pound — for dogs
  9. saw — the tool
  10. can — a tin
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. court — of law
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. rock — music
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. pound — to hit hard
  19. rock — a stone
  20. bear — the animal
  21. court — of a king
  22. can — to be able to
  23. bear — the animal
  24. saw — the tool

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