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 120 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. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  2. David sat on the ________________.
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  9. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  10. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  11. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  19. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  22. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  23. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — the animal
  2. swing — to play on
  3. cue — for pool
  4. cue — a hint
  5. bat — for baseball
  6. can — a tin
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. swing — in golf
  9. foot — the bottom
  10. clip — to cut
  11. safe — a strongbox
  12. ball — a dance
  13. foot — a measure
  14. can — to be able to
  15. clip — for paper
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. can — a tin
  18. foot — part of the body
  19. cue — a signal
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. swing — music
  22. clip — a video
  23. bat — in an idiom
  24. ball — a great time

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