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 116 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. He was locked up in a ________________.
  2. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  10. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  11. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  12. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  13. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  19. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. When will it ________________ you to start?
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  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. cell — in a prison
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. suit — clothes
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. suit — in cards
  6. pitch — completely
  7. clip — a video
  8. deal — to handle
  9. pound — a weight
  10. clip — to cut
  11. clip — for paper
  12. cell — in biology
  13. cell — a phone
  14. cue — a hint
  15. cue — for pool
  16. pound — to hit hard
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. cue — a signal
  19. pound — for dogs
  20. rash — hasty
  21. suit — to fit
  22. rash — a series
  23. pitch — a sales talk
  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