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. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  2. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  14. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  21. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  24. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. bat — the animal
  3. squash — to crush
  4. bore — to drill
  5. sharp — clever
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. pit — a hole
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. bat — in an idiom
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. squash — the sport
  13. squash — the vegetable
  14. foot — the bottom
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. bat — for baseball
  17. cue — a hint
  18. pitch — completely
  19. cue — for pool
  20. foot — a measure
  21. foot — part of the body
  22. bore — to tire
  23. pitch — a sports field
  24. pit — in a race

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