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

  1. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  15. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  21. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  22. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  23. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  24. He took the fish out of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. cue — for pool
  3. mark — a trace
  4. row — a quarrel
  5. net — after costs
  6. pound — to hit hard
  7. net — in sport
  8. face — to confront
  9. face — to point toward
  10. cue — a signal
  11. face — part of the head
  12. pound — a weight
  13. can — a tin
  14. tear — from crying
  15. pound — for dogs
  16. can — a tin
  17. mark — a grade
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. can — to be able to
  20. tear — from crying
  21. row — a line
  22. tear — to rip
  23. row — to paddle
  24. net — for catching

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