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 get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  6. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  16. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  17. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  23. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  24. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. kick — a thrill
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. lean — to bend
  5. wound — an injury
  6. march — music
  7. cue — for pool
  8. net — after costs
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. march — the month
  12. net — for catching
  13. march — the month
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. bay — a part of the sea
  16. kick — with a leg
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. lean — thin
  19. net — in sport
  20. wound — an injury
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. wound — past of 'wind'
  23. kick — in football
  24. cue — a signal

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