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 116 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. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  2. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  3. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  10. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  20. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  21. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  22. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  24. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — for pool
  2. wind — to turn a key
  3. game — wild animals
  4. pit — a hole
  5. cue — a signal
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. wind — moving air
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. file — a line of people
  10. prune — to trim
  11. game — a match
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. deal — to handle
  14. cue — a hint
  15. game — a kind of play
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. wind — moving air
  18. bear — the animal
  19. prune — the fruit
  20. file — a document
  21. pit — in a race
  22. bear — the animal
  23. prune — to trim
  24. file — a tool

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