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. The ball is in your ________________.
  3. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  4. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  10. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  16. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  24. Hold the papers together with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. court — for sport
  3. clip — to cut
  4. craft — a skill
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. bowl — a football final
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. craft — boats
  9. court — of law
  10. clip — a video
  11. bound — obliged
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. bowl — to roll
  14. cue — a hint
  15. snap — to snap out of it
  16. snap — to click
  17. bound — tied together
  18. snap — to speak sharply
  19. cue — for pool
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. bowl — a dish
  22. bound — certain
  23. court — of a king
  24. clip — for paper

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