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. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. You don't need to ________________ round.
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  24. We ________________ up on opposing sides.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. pop — soda
  3. wound — an injury
  4. key — for a lock
  5. board — a committee
  6. cue — for pool
  7. board — to get on
  8. hand — help
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. key — the most important part
  12. pop — music
  13. pass — a permit
  14. pop — to visit
  15. hand — in cards
  16. hand — part of the body
  17. cue — a signal
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. key — in music
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. wound — an injury
  23. pass — to succeed
  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