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. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  2. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. David sat on the ________________.
  7. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  8. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  11. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  15. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  16. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  17. We're on a ________________ here.
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  19. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  23. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  24. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a dish
  2. cue — a hint
  3. cue — a signal
  4. spell — magic
  5. spell — a short time
  6. swing — to play on
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. foot — part of the body
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. roll — a cake
  11. foot — a measure
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. spell — letters
  14. fall — to drop
  15. swing — music
  16. roll — a list
  17. roll — on a roll
  18. ruler — a monarch
  19. fall — the season
  20. cue — for pool
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. fall — to drop
  23. swing — in golf
  24. foot — the bottom

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