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. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  2. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. We're on a ________________ here.
  5. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  6. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  10. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  11. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  12. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  15. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  19. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  20. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  24. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — to turn a key
  2. cue — a signal
  3. snap — to speak sharply
  4. roll — on a roll
  5. perch — the fish
  6. roll — a cake
  7. mark — a trace
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. pound — for dogs
  10. march — music
  11. pound — to hit hard
  12. pound — a weight
  13. cue — a hint
  14. march — the month
  15. roll — a list
  16. cue — for pool
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. snap — to snap out of it
  19. march — the month
  20. wind — moving air
  21. mark — a grade
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. wind — moving air
  24. snap — to click

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