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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. rush — hurry
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. bound — obliged
  5. content — happy
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. cue — for pool
  9. bound — certain
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. content — videos and posts
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. bound — tied together
  17. content — the amount
  18. cue — a signal

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