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. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  6. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  7. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  13. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  17. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  22. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  23. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  24. We ________________ up on opposing sides.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. wound — an injury
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. wound — an injury
  6. band — a rubber band
  7. kick — a thrill
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. cue — a signal
  13. kick — in football
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. cue — a hint
  16. kick — with a leg
  17. band — a music group
  18. sharp — clever
  19. band — a ring
  20. cue — for pool
  21. mug — a cup
  22. ruler — a monarch
  23. mug — a face
  24. wound — past of 'wind'

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