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. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  9. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  13. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  21. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. My father caught me by the ________________.
  24. The players ran onto the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. cue — a hint
  3. wind — moving air
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. mark — a trace
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. pitch — completely
  9. arm — a part of something
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. wind — to turn a key
  13. wind — moving air
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. mark — a grade
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. cue — a signal
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. cue — for pool
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. pitch — a sports field

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