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. That was ________________ to happen.
  2. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  10. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  11. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  12. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  16. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  17. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  18. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  19. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  20. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  21. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  24. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. sharp — clever
  3. pop — music
  4. pop — soda
  5. cue — a hint
  6. mate — a partner
  7. cue — for pool
  8. pop — to visit
  9. kick — in football
  10. file — a tool
  11. cue — a signal
  12. tear — from crying
  13. bound — tied together
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. tear — to rip
  16. file — a line of people
  17. tear — from crying
  18. mate — a friend
  19. file — a document
  20. kick — with a leg
  21. kick — a thrill
  22. mate — to breed
  23. sharp — with an edge
  24. bound — obliged

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