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. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  11. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  12. The water is too ________________.
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  16. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  17. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  18. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  22. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  23. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. ball — a dance
  3. can — a tin
  4. file — a tool
  5. cue — a signal
  6. mug — a cup
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. face — part of the head
  9. mug — a face
  10. file — a line of people
  11. cold — the Cold War
  12. cold — not warm
  13. face — to point toward
  14. can — a tin
  15. cold — an illness
  16. row — a line
  17. row — to paddle
  18. row — a quarrel
  19. ball — a great time
  20. face — to confront
  21. file — a document
  22. cue — for pool
  23. cue — a hint
  24. can — to be able to

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