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 120 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 have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  23. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  24. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. cue — for pool
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. root — the cause
  6. cue — a hint
  7. pit — in a race
  8. pit — a hole
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. wind — moving air
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. root — of a plant
  14. bass — the fish
  15. bass — low music
  16. rush — hurry
  17. root — of a word
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. sharp — clever
  22. cue — a signal
  23. wind — moving air
  24. wind — to turn a key

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