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. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  2. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  6. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  19. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. rash — a series
  3. hand — part of the body
  4. bear — the animal
  5. pass — to spend time
  6. pass — to succeed
  7. cue — a hint
  8. net — after costs
  9. band — a music group
  10. pass — a permit
  11. cue — for pool
  12. band — a rubber band
  13. net — for catching
  14. band — a ring
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. rash — hasty
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. hand — in cards
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. bear — the animal
  21. cue — a signal
  22. net — in sport
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. hand — help

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