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 had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  2. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  5. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  6. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  9. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  10. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  15. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  16. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  17. When will it ________________ you to start?
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  21. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  22. The ball is in your ________________.
  23. The water is too ________________.
  24. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — an illness
  2. suit — in cards
  3. cue — a hint
  4. snap — to speak sharply
  5. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  6. spring — of water
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. kid — to tease
  9. court — of law
  10. court — of a king
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. cold — the Cold War
  13. cue — for pool
  14. spring — the season
  15. snap — to click
  16. kid — child
  17. suit — to fit
  18. suit — clothes
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. cue — a signal
  21. spring — a coil
  22. court — for sport
  23. cold — not warm
  24. snap — to snap out of it

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