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. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  2. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  6. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  24. This piece is in a major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a quarrel
  2. key — the most important part
  3. fine — high quality
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. snap — to click
  6. snap — to snap out of it
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. row — a line
  9. fine — all right
  10. rule — a law
  11. cue — a hint
  12. row — to paddle
  13. cue — a signal
  14. cue — for pool
  15. rule — to rule out
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. snap — to speak sharply
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. rule — government
  22. key — for a lock
  23. branch — a division
  24. key — in music

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