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. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  2. Did you ________________ the meat?
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  9. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  13. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  14. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  21. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  22. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. I'll take my ________________ from you.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — for pool
  2. season — to add flavour
  3. lean — thin
  4. season — in sport
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. capital — money
  7. cue — a signal
  8. row — a quarrel
  9. row — a line
  10. lean — to bend
  11. season — of the year
  12. object — to protest
  13. capital — a city
  14. capital — a big letter
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. track — a song
  17. track — a path
  18. object — an aim
  19. track — to keep track
  20. object — a thing
  21. wake — a trail
  22. row — to paddle
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. cue — a hint

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