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. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  2. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  20. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  21. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  22. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  23. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  24. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. spell — magic
  3. cue — a signal
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. club — for dancing
  6. cue — for pool
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. rest — what's left
  9. club — for golf
  10. rest — a break
  11. safe — a strongbox
  12. rest — what's left
  13. spell — a short time
  14. club — a group
  15. hand — in cards
  16. hand — help
  17. pound — to hit hard
  18. spell — letters
  19. wind — to turn a key
  20. cue — a hint
  21. wind — moving air
  22. pound — a weight
  23. pound — for dogs
  24. wind — moving air

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