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. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  6. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  7. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  13. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  18. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  21. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  22. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. cue — for pool
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. can — to be able to
  5. kick — in football
  6. wound — an injury
  7. wound — an injury
  8. cue — a signal
  9. mine — for digging
  10. kick — with a leg
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. mine — an explosive
  13. wound — past of 'wind'
  14. cue — a hint
  15. file — a document
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. pit — a hole
  18. pit — in a race
  19. can — a tin
  20. file — a tool
  21. file — a line of people
  22. kick — a thrill
  23. can — a tin
  24. deal — to handle

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