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: nail · fork · rash · game · lie · wound · mug · snap

  1. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  2. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. That was a fun ________________.
  8. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  9. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  10. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  11. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  14. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  15. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  19. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  20. Where did you ________________ them?
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a cup
  2. snap — to snap out of it
  3. snap — to speak sharply
  4. rash — hasty
  5. fork — in a road
  6. rash — a series
  7. game — a match
  8. game — a kind of play
  9. fork — to eat with
  10. wound — an injury
  11. rash — on the skin
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. wound — an injury
  14. fork — a garden tool
  15. mug — a face
  16. game — wild animals
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. snap — to click
  19. wound — past of 'wind'
  20. mug — to rob
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. lie — to recline
  24. lie — an untruth

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