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: squash · snap · rule · fine · face · racket · wound · ball

  1. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  2. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  11. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  15. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  16. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  17. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  18. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  19. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  20. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  21. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  22. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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. snap — to click
  3. face — part of the head
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. racket — a loud noise
  6. fine — all right
  7. ball — a dance
  8. rule — to rule out
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. face — to confront
  11. rule — government
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. fine — high quality
  14. squash — the sport
  15. face — to point toward
  16. snap — to speak sharply
  17. wound — past of 'wind'
  18. wound — an injury
  19. squash — the vegetable
  20. rule — a law
  21. wound — an injury
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. squash — to crush
  24. ball — a great time

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