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. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  2. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  6. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  17. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  18. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  19. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  20. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — for pool
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. bound — certain
  5. cue — a hint
  6. club — for golf
  7. bound — obliged
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. squash — to crush
  11. squash — the sport
  12. cue — a signal
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. lean — thin
  16. kick — a thrill
  17. squash — the vegetable
  18. kick — with a leg
  19. kick — in football
  20. club — a group
  21. plane — a tool
  22. lean — to bend
  23. bound — tied together
  24. club — for dancing

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