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. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  2. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. We're on a ________________ here.
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  22. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  23. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  24. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a list
  2. prune — to trim
  3. cue — a hint
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. charge — in control
  7. hand — help
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. prune — to trim
  10. roll — on a roll
  11. bound — obliged
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. bound — certain
  14. cue — a signal
  15. bound — tied together
  16. charge — a price
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. wake — a trail
  19. charge — electricity
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. cue — for pool
  22. roll — a cake
  23. hand — in cards
  24. hand — part of the body

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