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. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  6. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  7. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  14. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  24. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. rest — a break
  3. sharp — clever
  4. cue — for pool
  5. rest — what's left
  6. race — humankind
  7. snap — to snap out of it
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. saw — the tool
  10. saw — the tool
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. march — the month
  14. march — music
  15. cue — a signal
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. snap — to click
  18. race — a contest
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. rest — what's left
  21. race — the arms race
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. snap — to speak sharply
  24. march — the month

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