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. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  2. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  21. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. club — for dancing
  3. chip — to eat
  4. mate — to breed
  5. cue — for pool
  6. dip — to sink
  7. mate — a partner
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. club — a group
  10. mate — a friend
  11. bowl — to roll
  12. chip — for betting
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. club — for golf
  15. wound — an injury
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. cue — a hint
  18. bowl — a dish
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. wound — past of 'wind'
  21. wound — an injury
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. bowl — a football final
  24. sharp — clever

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