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: snap · straw · rash · bark · tear · safe · content · bat

  1. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  2. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  10. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  11. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  12. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  13. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  14. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  15. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  16. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  19. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  20. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  21. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  22. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  23. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  24. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to speak sharply
  2. bark — to shout
  3. rash — a series
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. tear — to rip
  6. rash — hasty
  7. bark — a dog's sound
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. bat — for baseball
  10. tear — from crying
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. snap — to snap out of it
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. straw — dry grass
  15. tear — from crying
  16. bat — in an idiom
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. bark — of a tree
  19. bat — the animal
  20. content — the amount
  21. snap — to click
  22. content — videos and posts
  23. straw — a straw man
  24. content — happy

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