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. We're on a ________________ here.
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  5. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. How do you ________________ your surname?
  12. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  15. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  20. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  24. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — on a roll
  2. spell — a short time
  3. cue — for pool
  4. wound — an injury
  5. cue — a hint
  6. cue — a signal
  7. wound — an injury
  8. spell — magic
  9. field — for sport
  10. bank — for money
  11. spell — letters
  12. field — farmland
  13. bank — for money
  14. present — there
  15. wound — past of 'wind'
  16. present — a gift
  17. field — a subject
  18. season — of the year
  19. roll — a list
  20. present — the time now
  21. season — in sport
  22. roll — a cake
  23. season — to add flavour
  24. bank — of a river

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