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. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  3. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  4. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  5. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  11. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  12. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. The water is too ________________.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  20. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. rule — a law
  3. object — to protest
  4. cold — an illness
  5. object — an aim
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. cue — a signal
  8. object — a thing
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. rule — to rule out
  11. bark — a dog's sound
  12. cold — the Cold War
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. pass — a permit
  15. cold — not warm
  16. ball — a dance
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. bark — to shout
  20. bark — of a tree
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. rule — government
  23. ball — a great time
  24. cue — for pool

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