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: rash · clip · coach · bound · snap · can · game · deal

  1. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  3. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. That was a fun ________________.
  9. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  10. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  18. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  23. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  24. Hold the papers together with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. snap — to snap out of it
  3. snap — to click
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. bound — obliged
  8. game — a match
  9. clip — a video
  10. clip — to cut
  11. can — a tin
  12. bound — tied together
  13. rash — a series
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. rash — hasty
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. deal — to handle
  18. snap — to speak sharply
  19. can — a tin
  20. can — to be able to
  21. bound — certain
  22. game — wild animals
  23. game — a kind of play
  24. clip — for paper

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