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. He is an ace ________________.
  2. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  3. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  8. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  9. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  10. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  18. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  22. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  23. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  24. He was locked up in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. cell — in biology
  3. snap — to snap out of it
  4. key — for a lock
  5. cue — a signal
  6. bulb — for light
  7. row — to paddle
  8. snap — to speak sharply
  9. row — a quarrel
  10. snap — to click
  11. cue — a hint
  12. row — a line
  13. cue — for pool
  14. key — in music
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. cell — a phone
  18. fall — to drop
  19. key — the most important part
  20. bulb — for light
  21. fall — to drop
  22. fall — the season
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. cell — in a prison

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