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. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. How do you ________________ your surname?
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  9. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  10. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  13. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  18. He was locked up in a ________________.
  19. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  22. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  23. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  24. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — a series
  2. spell — letters
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. straw — a straw man
  5. rash — hasty
  6. club — a group
  7. cue — for pool
  8. hand — part of the body
  9. straw — dry grass
  10. cue — a hint
  11. object — to protest
  12. cell — a phone
  13. object — an aim
  14. spell — magic
  15. club — for dancing
  16. cue — a signal
  17. club — for golf
  18. cell — in a prison
  19. hand — help
  20. spell — a short time
  21. object — a thing
  22. cell — in biology
  23. hand — in cards
  24. straw — to clutch at straws

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