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. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  2. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  3. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  4. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  8. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  21. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  24. I'd like to play a game of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. file — a tool
  3. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  4. tear — from crying
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. bank — of a river
  7. file — a document
  8. kid — to tease
  9. squash — to crush
  10. squash — the vegetable
  11. cue — for pool
  12. season — in sport
  13. tear — to rip
  14. face — to point toward
  15. bank — for money
  16. cue — a hint
  17. bank — for money
  18. tear — from crying
  19. face — to confront
  20. kid — child
  21. face — part of the head
  22. season — of the year
  23. file — a line of people
  24. squash — the sport

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